Tali Adders & The Outsiders
by Kodalover
Summary: This is my first fan-fic. This one is about Tali Adders. A girl from New Jersey who moved to Tulsa after her mom died. She meets the Greasers and falls in love with one. Takes place before and through the book. Pony kills Bob and they don't go to Windrixville. Please Review. Constructive Criticism is welcome.
1. Chapter 1

"Wake up Tali," a voice said as it shook me awake. "Wake up. We're here." the voice spoke again. I opened my eyes and was staring into the sapphire blue one's of my older brothers Paxton. I sat up and looked at my surroundings. _So...this is Tulsa._ I thought. I got out of the car and started unpacking my things. I was walking up the steps when I dropped my suitcase full of breakable picture frames.

"Oh damnit," I cussed. _That had my pictures of mom in it._

"Here, let me help," a voice said. I wheeled around and stood face to face with the cutest boy I'd ever seen. "Hi. My name's Sodapop Curtis." he introduced himself.

"My name's Tali. Tali Adders. Where'dya get the nickname Sodapop from?" I asked.

"Nup. Soda's my real name. Even says so on my birth certificate." he said while he started picking up the frames. "My dad was a real original person. I even got a younger brother named Ponyboy." he continued. "So where'dya move from and who with?" he asked.

"Oh, I just moved from Newark New Jersey with my dad and older twin brothers." I explained starting to pick up the wood frames.

"New Jersey? What are you doin' way down here?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well...my dad got transferred down here to manage a DX gas station." I spoke. Soda's eyes lit up.  
"DX? That's where I work!" he exclaimed. At that moment my dad and brothers came out of the house. I stood up and put the broken frames in the suitcase. Soda did the same.  
"Dad, Paxton, Parker, this is Sodapop Curtis." I introduced him. Soda put his hand out. Dad took it first.

"Tony Adders," he said shaking Soda's hand.

"Paxton," he all but growled. Paxton is very protective of me. My whole family is, but when my last boyfriend broke up with me, Paxton broke his jaw. Parker took his hand and shook it.

"Parker," he nodded.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis. I live in the house right over there," he said, pointing to the house right across the street and over a couple. "Sir? Would it be alright if Tali came to my house to meet my brothers and my friends?" he asked, turning back around to face my dad.

"What about your parents?" Paxton piped up.

"Oh, um...my parents died in a car crash about 8 months ago. My older brother takes care of me and a younger brother now." he sighed, looking at his shoes.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Paxton whispered. He actually looked sorry. My dad looked at Soda and then back at me.

"Sure, but have her home by 11 o'clock." he told Soda. He nodded.

"Thank you sir." he thanked. I hugged my dad and said bye to my brothers. As we walked back I started talking.

"I'm sorry about your parents. I just lost my mom and almost lost Parker about three months ago. That's why he has that big scar on his arm." I explained.

"I'm sorry." he replied. As we walked up the stairs I could hear the unmistakable sound of wrestling. "Okay. Now my brothers and friends are loud and crazy, and they can be rude sometimes, and we've never had a girl in our gang before." Soda warned me.

"Oh, so I'm apart of the gang already?" I asked, jokingly.

"Well, if ya wanna be." he replied, and with that he opened the door


	2. Chapter 2

We walked inside and I took a look around. One guy was sitting in a recliner reading a newspaper, three guys were sitting on the couch looking at two more guys wrestle on the floor.

"Guys! Hey Guys!" Soda yelled. Everybody looked up.

"Hoo-hee Soda, who you got there? You ain't skippin on Sandy are ya?" the guy on the floor with the rusty colored sideburns asked. _He does have a girlfriend. Dang it._ I thought.

"No, I ain't skippin on Sandy Two-Bit. This is Tali Adders. She just moved across the street." Soda introduced me. I nodded. Soda introduced me to all of the guys. The guy with the sideburns was Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews. He was about six feet tall and had a stocky build, and red hair with grey eyes. Johnny Cade was next. He had a very small build with black hair and big black eyes, with a tan face. Ponyboy, Soda's youngest brother had grey-green eyes and long brown-red hair. Dally was a hard hood. He had high cheekbones and long black hair. He had a dangerous and cocky grin. Darry was a little taller than six feet, he was broad shouldered and muscular. He had pale green-blue eyes. Last, but not least, Steve Randle. Soda's best friend since grade school, he was tall and lean, and left his hair in a swirl of complicated black swirls. After introductions, we sat on the floor and watched Mickey Mouse. Two-Bit **loves** Mickey.

"So, Where ya from?" Darry asked.

"I'm from Newark. Newark, New Jersey." I told them.

"Why did you move down here?" Pony asked, curiously.

"Oh, um...my mom just died in a car accident a couple of months ago and we'd needed a change of scenery. My dad asked the boss if he could transfer and he transferred us here." I explained. Everybody was quiet for a couple minutes.

"Where's your dad gonna be working?" Steve asked.

"He's our new manager." Soda told him for me. I looked at the clock and it was already 10:50.

"Oh, I have to go. I can't be late." I told the guys. "Well, here, let me walk you home at least." Soda offered as he got up and put his hoes on. I said bye to all of the guys and we left.

"So?" he asked me. I laughed.

"Oh my Lord! You guys are so funny. I would love to be a part of the gang." I told him, laughing. We walked the rest of the way in silence. We got back to my house just before 11 o'clock.

"Thank you." I said, breaking the silence.

"For what?" he asked, casually.

"Everything. I've been here for 12 hours and have already made seven really good friends." I finished.

"Aw, I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked. I nodded. I walked inside and looked out the window. I saw Sodapop Patrick Curtis skipping back to his house.

"So?" I wheeled around. Parker was sitting in the recliner. Anytime I went on a date, him Paxton, and Parker rotate who looks out to see if I'm late. One time I was late and it was Parker's turn to watch, he didn't tell dad. He just said I needed to owe him one.

"So what?" I asked, returning his question.

"How was your date?" he questioned, laughing.

"It was **not** a date. I went to his house, met his family and friends, and watched Mickey Mouse." I shrieked. I noticed he was rubbing his arm. When he was in the car accident, he broke three ribs, and his arm was ripped open from the metal. 68 stitches. "How's your arm?" I asked, changing the subject.

"It still hurts sometimes. Why don't you go on up to bed?" He asked.I nodded & went up stairs. He still blames himself for the accident. He was driving the car when a drunk driver ran a stop sign. It hit moms side & killed her instantly. Parker made it out of the car & pulled her out. He passed out from massive blood loss & a nicked lung from one of his broken ribs. I got to my bedroom & looked around. The boys did a pretty good job of decorating. I got into a pair of pj's & went to bed. I dreamed of Sodapop Curtis.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everybody. Why isn't anybody reviewing? Do you like it? I just want to know whether to keep with it or not. I really want to, but if you guys don't like it won't. Please tell me your ideas & I'll try to get them in here. Thanks.

I woke up to Rain, my border collie pup, licking my face. I sat up and it was daylight. _I'm glad we didn't have school today. I wouldn't have made it half a day._ I thought. I got up  & got dressed in a pair of my favorite jeans, a pair of leather boots, a white tank top, my black leather jacket, and put my hair into a tight ponytail. I rode the railing down the stairs. _Mom would never let us do that at the old house._

"Come to the kitchen, it's breakfast." shouted dad. I walked into the kitchen. Eggs, bacon, and sausage. _We hardly ever have big breakfasts since mom died._ I got my eggs and slathered strawberry jelly on them. As we all ate, my dad started talking. "Well, I have to go to work for a little while today, go to a meeting, get my office. What are you doing today kiddos?" he asked. I looked at Paxton who was stuffing bacon into his mouth. _I swear, he's 17 and a half and he acts like a fourth grader sometimes. Parker is super mature._ I thought.

"Me and Paxton are gonna go explore." Parker answered, shoving sausage into his mouth. _I stand corrected. He is still childish._

"What about you Tali?" Dad asked.

"I'm gonna hang out at the Curtis' house today." I told them. "That kid...Sodapop, seems nice." my dad complemented.

"Yeah, I like him a lot better than the last one." Paxton agreed, cracking his knuckles.

"Last what?" I asked slightly confused.

"Last boyfriend. That's what he is...isn't he?" Parker chimed in.

"No. He has a girlfriend, we're just friends. That's all." I corrected, rubbing my neck. I could feel it turning red.

"Okay, well, I have to go to work. If I don't see ya during the day, I want you guys back by 10:30. It's a school day. Paxton, Parker, don't get arrested the first day here. Tali, stay out of trouble." he remarked, kissing the top of my head. He left and Paxton and Parker shortly after, leaving me with the dishes. I left and started walking towards the Curtis'. I could hear a car trailing me. I started running a little faster. I'm in good physical shape, but in no way, shape, or form, am I any kind of runner. Four socs got out of the care and caught me in a flying tackle.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A new greassette." A soc shouted to the rest of them. I could smell the overbearing smell of English Leather. I kicked him as hard as I could in the nuts and one of them hooked me right under my eye. _That's gonna be black._ I thought. I was on the ground when one of the socs sat on me. He pulled out his blade. My hands were behind me, but I manged to pull my prized blue-handled blade I carried everywhere with me. I could feel the blood running down the side of my face. The soc that was on top of me cut my tank top open. I chose that moment to try to fight him. I threw him off of me, but before I got the chance to get fully up, a soc kicked me hard in the stomach. It knocked the wind right out of me. "Help? Soda! Paxton! Parker! Somebody help me!" I shouted as loud as I could. My voice sounded strangled. The world started spinning and getting fuzzy. The last thing I remembered was somebody picking me up  & carrying me.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you so much TheOutsidersFan, Guest, and Sodasgirl1 for the reviews. I really thought no one was gonna like it. Please keep reviewing.

"Wake up baby. Come on sweetie. Wake up." It was Parker. _Where am I? The last thing I remember was the socs._ I opened my eyes and nine pairs were staring at me.

"Hi baby." Paxton whispered.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to sit up. I was at the Curtis' house on the couch.

"No. Don't sit up." Soda advised, pushing my head back onto the pillow.

"You were jumped by the socs. We had to patch you up in three different places. Four stitches on the side of your head, three on your wrist, and seven on your stomach." Paxton informed me. I looked down at my torn open tank top. The guys tried to sew it back together. _Ho_ w sweet.

"I'm fine guys. Really. Can we just go home so I can change?" I asked Parker.

"Sure honey. Let's go." he replied. I got up and fell back down onto the couch. All of the guys moved my direction.

"Tali?" Parker asked, helping me back up and balancing me. I waved to the guys and we walked back to our house without problem. I went up stairs regretting every step. _Ooh. That kick to the ribs hurt._ I got to my room and put on a pair of sweatpants and a Minnie Mouse sweatshirt. I put my hair in pigtails and got slowly into bed. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

When I woke up, there was somebody's arm around me. It was Paxton.

"Hey honey. How ya feelin?" he asked, removing his arm.

"Honestly? I've felt better." Paxton chuckled.

"Take a couple aspirins when you get down stairs." he stated. I nodded and gave him a fake salute. "Oh, by the way, Soda came over earlier. He was really worried about you. I told him you were sleeping and that if you felt up to it, once you woke up I'd take you over there." Paxton told me as he got ready to leave.

"Really? You would do that? Ooh, what am I gonna do about my face?" I asked as I cringed. _I probably looked really bad._ I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

"You know? They've already seen your eye, wrist, and head. Only me and Park saw your stomach. Paxton shouted from the bedroom. I walked out with another leather jacket, a tank top, and a pair of jeans. I pinned my hair back with a bobby pin and put on a pair of sunglasses. We walked down the stairs, I more slowly than Paxton.

"Ah, the sleeping beauty awakes." Parker quipped.

"Shut it!" I snapped playfully. "Let's go Pax." I continued. We walked over to the Curtis' house in silence.

"Remember, dad wants you home by 10:30." Paxton reminded me. I nodded and walked through the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everybody. I have been forgetting to do the disclaimer. I don't own any of The Outsiders. I own Tali, Tony, Paxton, Parker, Rain, and a couple of Tali's friends to be met later. As always...please review.

Everybody looked up.

"Hwy, how are ya?" Soda asked getting up off the floor.

"Oh, I'm fine. Great even Never felt better." I lied. I laid it on a little thick because Two-Bit waddled over and snatched the sunglasses off, but gently.

"Holy crap kid! Look at that shiner!" Two-Bit laughed. I was still standing in the doorway by the couch. Steve was sitting on the couch to my left, and I could barely see out of my eye.

"Hey kid? How many fingers am I holding up?" Stee asked me, holding up a blurry blob of fingers. I focused really hard on his fingers. His hand was really blurry.\

"Um, four?" I asked, seriously questioning my own answer.

"Crap kid, I'm holding up one!" he fretted. I lost my balance and fell, steadying myself with the couch. Soda ran over and helped me sit down.

"I'm calling your brothers, they need to take you to the hospital. You could have a concussion." Darry stated.

"No! Please don't! I'm fine. Could I just have a couple aspirins?" I pleaded. All seven boys just stared at Pony.

"Fine, but you pass out on us and your brothers are getting a call. Understand?" Darry ordered. I was very pleased with myself. Darry was a hard guy to persuade. He got up and headed for the kitchen. He came back out with a chocolate cake, passing out slices. He gave me a glass of water and the bottle of aspirins. I gulped down three. We laughed and told stories. Two-Bit told us stories of his _many_ blondes. Let's just say some of those stories scarred me for life. Soon enough, it was 10:20.

"Well, I better take you home." Soda piped. We left the house and walked towards mine. "Sandy broke up with me. Moved to Florida with her grandma. She cheated on me." Soda said, breaking the silence between us.I didn't know what to say.

"I'm so sorry Soda." Is all I could muster. We reached my house & I stood on the step & closed the gate. "Hey, Soda? Thank you for this morning. Saving me." I leaned over the railing & kissed him. "Goodnight." I finished. I walked inside the house feeling like the lightest thing on planet earth. _I just kissed Sodapop Patrick Curtis._ I walked into the living room. Dad was reading the newspaper and Pax and Park were arm wrestling. Paxton won. Dad looked up at me.

"Paxton and Parker told me everything homey. Why didn't you call me?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"I didn't want you to miss your first day of work and besides you'd worry about me even if I got out of it without a scratch." I explained.

"Ok. Well, if something happens like this again, please call me. Why don't you go on up to bed? You've had a long day." he said. I nodded. I walked over and gave my dad and brothers a hug goodnight. I walked up the stairs very slowly. My ribs were hurting something awful. I got to bed and layed down. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I dreamed about Sodapop.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys. I just wanted to know why no one's reviewing again. I just want to know if you guy like it. Please Please Please review. Thanks. Love you guys.

"Wake up Tali. Wake up baby, you're safe. It's okay." I sat up sweating and shaking. Paxton had his arm wrapped around me. "It's okay. You're safe. You're safe." he held me and Parker gave me a glass of water. My dad was standing in the doorway.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep you guys. It was just a dream." I tried to convince them. Dad turned to leave.

"Hey, get some sleep. You have school tomorrow." he said. He left. I could hear him limping down the stairs. He got shot in World War 2 in the leg. On bad days, he has to use a king. Parker was the next one to leave.

"If you need anything, just wake me up, okay?" he offered. I nodded. Paxton got up to leave.

"Pax? Will you stay with me?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course." he spoke softly.

"I'm sorry I woke all of you guys up." I apologized.

"It's okay. Do you remember what it was about?" he asked. I shook my head. _I do. It was Parker and mom in the car accident, losing them, me getting jumped._ I fell asleep dreamlessly.

"Wake up! It's breakfast!" Parker shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" I shouted back. I put on a white t-shirt and my favorite leather jacket. I put on my jeans and a pair of boots. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My eye wasn't as bad as yesterday. It wasn't swollen shut and I could see clearly. I put some concealer on it. My ribs were still aching pretty badly. I walked down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. We were having eggs and mine already had strawberry jelly on it.

"Do you wanna stay home today?" Parker asked as I swallowed three aspirins.

"No. I got to go, I'm riding with the guys anyways." I told them. I put my plate in the sink, gave my brothers a hug, and grabbed my hug.

"Well, let us at least walk you over there." Paxton and Parker said in unison. They do that sometimes. It must be a twin thing. I nodded. We left the house and started walking. I started braiding my hair while I was walking.

"I have no clue how she does that." Paxton whispered to Parker.

"It must be a girl thing." he whispered back. I laughed to myself. "If anything happens, come get me or Paxton. I talked to Steve last night. Two-Bit and Steve should be in most of your classes." Parker informed. I looked at Parker.

"Two-Bit's 18. Shouldn't he be a senior?" I asked. He just nodded and laughed. I walked up the stairs. "See ya guys later." I waved. They waved back blowing fake kisses. _Ugh. Boys._ They spun around and started walking to wherever they were gonna go before school. I walked through the door. Steve and Two-Bit were wrestling on the floor. Darry was shoveling chocolate cake into his mouth and Soda was running around the house with one sock and one shoe. Pony was in the kitchen actually getting ready for school with Johnny.

"Is it like this every morning?" I asked nobody in particular.

"Pretty much." Darry affirmed, finishing his chocolate cake. I nodded. _I love this._ "Hurry up Soda. I am leaving in two minutes and if you are not in the truck I'm leaving and you can walk to the DX!" Darry threatened.

"I'm here...I'm here." Soda panted, coming out of the bedroom with an unbuttoned DX shirt. "Oh. Hey Tali. Ready for your first day?" Soda asked. I only nodded. Darry and Soda left and the rest of us shortly after. We had to give Two-Bit's car a push start. We got to school and Pony went to his classes. Two-Bit, Johnny, and Steve took me into the office.

"Hi. I'm the new student. Tali Adders." I introduced myself.

"Hi. Welcome to your new school. Let me go get your schedule and locker number." the secretary said, sweetly and left to go get it. I looked at Steve and Two-Bit. They were laughing.

"What?" I asked them, puzzled.

"Old lady Charles ain't ever been that nice to anybody." Two-Bit laughed. I playfully hit him in the chest. She came back and I took the papers. I nodded my thanks and the four of us walked out and we found my locker. Me, Steve, Two-Bit, and Johnny have the same classes. We got through the day just fine. We found Pony and walked back to the house. We talked about our classes and then ate chocolate cake. Soda and Darry got home and we played charades and laughed. Me and Soda walked home alone.

"I'm sorry I kissed you last night. I just wanted to say thank you. I honestly didn't know I was gonna kiss you until about two seconds after." I apologized.

"Oh shucks, it's okay. You didn't have to say thank you. I'd save you any time." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a pretty good kisser." he whispered under his breath. _I don't think he meant for me to hear that._ We walked up to my porch. I kissed him square on the lips. He looked really surprised.

"How's that for being a good kisser?" I asked. I walked into the house and closed the door. I looked out the window and he was gone. I went outside to see where he went. Soda popped out in front of me and kissed me, running his hand down my cheek. He stopped.

"Great." he turned and walked back to his house. I was stunned.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you so much you guys for your reviews. They make my day. This chapter might be boring at the beginning, but I think it gets better.

The rest of the week went pretty uneventful. Me and Soda officially started dating. That was exciting. We went to school and got homework. Of course, Me, Pony, and Johnny were the only ones who actually did the homework. I was over at the Curtis' house all of the time. Everything was normal. Until Saturday. Around noon, I was walking back with Steve and Soda from the DX. We heard the scream from down the street.

"Pony!" Soda shouted and we took off in a dead run. Soda jumped over the fence and me and Steve ran around. Soda, Steve, Dally, Two-Bit, and I started beating on a red corvair full of socs. Steve got punched in the nose and it started bleeding while he was cursing the soc out. Dally grabbed a big branch and threw it at the car. It didn't even his the car. _Didn't even come close._ Soda and I ran over to where Darry was shaking Pony.

"Stop shaking me Darry. I'm fine." Pony told Darry. Darry stopped and shoved his hands into his pockets. We all went back to the Curtis'.

I'm goin to the nightly double. Anybody wanna come. Hunt some action?" Dally asked all of us.

"Can't. Me and Soda are taking Tali and Evie to the game." Steve said.

"Me and Pony will." Johnny spoke up. I kissed Soda and told him I'd meet him back here for the game. I went home and fixed myself up.

I got woken up by someone knocking on my door. I fell asleep on the couch after I got back from the game with Soda, Steve, and Evie. I got up and slowly opened the door. It was Soda. He was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, giving him a hug.

"It's Pony. He ran off. Darry hit him. They...got into a fight. He didn't mean to hit him..." Soda sobbed. _Wow. Darry hit Pony._

"Ok. I'll come with you to go find him. Let me tell Paxton and Parker I'm leaving. Do you want them to come?" I asked.

"Sure. They can come if they want." Soda responded, distracted. I ran into Parker's room. Both brothers were there playing poker.  
"Guys? I'm going with Soda to find Pony. Do you wanna come?" I asked. They both looked up at me.

"I'll stay with dad." Parker stated.

"I'll go with you guys. Make sure no one does nothing stupid." Paxton volunteered as he got up and threw a shirt on. We ran down the stairs and Soda was on the couch with his head in his hands. He looked up while Paxton jumped off the remaining steps.

"Okay. We'll first go to Two-Bit's, then we'll go to Steve's." Soda said, standing up and walking out the door. We got in Soda's Ford and drove to Two-Bit's. He opened the door.

"We got to go. Pony's missing." I told him before Soda could even open his mouth. It was about 3:30 in the morning.

"Ma! I'm going out!" he yelled.

"Okay! Come back some time!" came the reply from the back room. We drove past the Curtis' house and Steve and Dally's car were already there. Soda ran in and us after him. I looked around. Steve was already next to Soda, Dally was stalking the back of the room, Johnny was sitting next to Pony on the couch. Darry was looking over the two. The both looked pretty beat up. Pony worse than Johnny.

"I'm sorry...they were drowning Johnny...I didn't know...what to do. I had to save him." Pony was sobbing.

"It's okay. Lean back on the couch Pony." Darry maintained. He looked up at me and got up. Soda immediately replaced him, talking and sobbing with Pony. Darry came over and started filling me, Paxton, and Two-Bit in.

"They went to the park after he ran out. Socs came and got them. They almost drowned Johnny. Pony tried to get up, but two of them started to kick him. He's got broken ribs for sure. The socs stopped because they thought he had passed out and went over to Johnny. Pony grabbed Johnny's blade that fell out and stabbed the closest one." he explained. I gasped. _Poor Ponyboy. He killed someone. Pony killed someone._

"It's the fuzz. We can still hide them." Dally hissed.

"We are not hiding him." I snapped. Darry opened the door.

"Hello officers." Darry spoke. I was standing by the couch by the door.

"Are you Darrel Curtis?" one of the officers asked. Darry nodded.

"Are Ponyboy Curtis and Jonathan Cade here?" the other officer asked. He nodded again and led them to the couch. Johnny stood up and Pony, who was half unconscious managed to sit up.

"Ponyboy Curtis. Jonathan Cade. You are under arrest for the murder of Robert Sheldon. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and will be used against you in the court of law." one cop said, as the other pulled out handcuffs. They cuffed Johnny and took him to the car. The other cop went to cuff Pony.

"No! Stop! He has broken ribs. You don't have to cuff him. He won't fight ya!" we all started to yell at the cop. He didn't listen and cuffed him anyways. Pony winced, but didn't complain. Paxton tried to tried to take a swing at the guy, but Dally, Darry, and Steve held him back. As they walked over to the door, Pony collapsed.

"Pony!" everybody shouted. Darry pushed everybody out of the way, including the cop. "He's barely breathing!" Darry hissed. The cop was already on the pone ordering an ambulance. "Come on baby. Keep breathing for all of us." Darry pleaded. Darry was coddling Pony's head. Pony was unconscious, but you could hear him wheezing, trying to breathe. Soda was sobbing into my arms and Paxton was bear hugging both of us. _Why was the ambulance taking so long?_ Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally were pacing the back of the room. I looked at Two-Bit. His laughing eyes were now a hurricane.

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna go to the station, see how Johnny's holding up." Dally stammered as he left. The ambulance finally got there and the paramedics loaded Pony onto a stretcher. Darry went in the ambulance with Pony who already had an oxygen mask on. Paxton drove me, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit to the hospital. We were in no condition to drive. Once we got into the car Soda broke down. He was sobbing so hard he couldn't breathe. He was gasping and he didn't care who was watching him break.

"Sodam baby, it'll be okay. He's strong. He's tuff." I coaxed, rubbing his back and hugging him. Steve was on the other side of Soda and Two-Bit was in the front with Paxton.

"Hey. Your brothers so pig-headed stubborn..." Steve was interrupted by Soda's fist connecting with his jaw.

"Soda!" I barked, crawling over Soda and next to Steve. Steve was holding a cupped hand over his mouth, blood seeping through.

"You ever call him a tag-along or stubborn again and I swear it, you'll be wishing all you had was a bloody mouth." Soda threatened. He turned away and looked out the window. All was quiet in the front seat. Even Two-Bit wasn't laughing. _Two-Bit is always laughing._

"Let me see." I instructed Steve. He opened his mouth and blood poured out. He cupped his hand back over it.

"I'm sorry." Soda choked. "I'm sorry...I hit you...I know you were...tryin' to say...something nice." Soda sobbed. Steve muffled an it's okay and then we were at the hospital. We all ran to the waiting room. Paxton ran to the bathroom to get paper towel for Steve to shove in his mouth.

"Darr?" Soda asked.

"They, um...took him into surgery as soon as we got here...he stopped breathing twice...in the ambulance." Darry choked on a sob. With that, Darry "Superman" Curtis broke. He started bawling into his hands, standing in the middle of the waiting room. Me and Soda ran over and hugged him. He was crying into Soda's shoulder. _He didn't cry when their parents died last year at the funeral. I remember Soda saying that._ Steve, Two-Bit, and Paxton came and hugged us all. _Ah, a big Greaser hug._

"I'm gonna go fill Parker and Dad in on what happened. Don't do anything stupid." Paxton warned. He left and we broke the hug and sat in the waiting room chairs. Dally and Johnny came in a short while later.

"They dropped the charges. Called it self-defense after they saw what happened to Pony. Randy and Cherry came and told their story about how the socs were drunk and lookin to start a fight." Dally hissed.

"How's Pony?" Johnny asked.

"He's still in surgery. No doctors have even come out to talk to us." Soda choked. Johnny nodded and as he went to sit down, a doctor came out.

"Family of Ponyboy Curtis?" he asked. All seven of us stood up.

"I'll only talk to immediate family." the doctor stated.

"They are." Darry answered int the best, not broken voice he could muster.

"Pony?" Soda squeaked.

"He's alive. He has three broken ribs. He had to have surgery to repair a crushed lung. He's in room six. He's on an oxygen mask and was running a high fever, so we have him on liquids. He's asleep right now, but I'll let you guys go in. I've already told the night nurses that you'll be staying through the night." the doctor concluded. He left and we walked down the hall into Pony's room.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys. Please please review. I'm getting a little sad. Do you guys not like it anymore? I really like seeing everybody reviews. They make my day. Okay this chapter is a little short. Would you guys review more if I mention you guys?

We walked slowly into the room, Darry leading the way. Pony looked so much more vulnerable, so weak and small. Me and Steve had to catch Soda as he stumbled forward. We all sat down, our eyes fixated on Pony.

"It's okay. Pony's okay." I whispered to Soda. Parker came into the room with several bags of Dairy Queen and grocery bags.

"So, I've got sandwiches and sundaes. I also went to the store and got candy bars to play poker with." Parker panted. He ran all the way up here. He was passing out the sandwiches when Darry pulled him over to talk to him. I finished passing out the food. I couldn't hear what Darry and Parker were talking about, but Parker nodded and came back over. We played poker for about two hours. I won. I passed out the candy bars for another round, when Pony moaned. It was about 7:30 in the morning. He was still sleeping.

"Two-Bit's...in...Texas." he mumbled. We all looked at Two-Bit and he just shrugged.

"Pony? Wake up honey. Two-Bit's here. We all are." Darry pleaded, but he was out again. We went back to playing poker. Slowly everyone fell asleep. Steve first, dropping his cards, his head on Soda's. Johnny next, his head resting on Dally's shoulder. He looked scared at first, but then fell asleep, his head on Johnny's. Soda fell asleep, his head on Steve's shoulder. Parker fell asleep, his arms crossed. Two-Bit was laughing at everybody, but then fell asleep right afterwards. Darry must've thought I was sleeping because he started whispering to Pony.

"I didn't mean to hit ya. I just got mad. Every time you come home late, I just get so worried. You got jumped, you got hit by a car, or so on. Mom and Dad told me to take care of you guys right before they left." he whispered. I came up behind him, he was crying into the blanket.

"Darry? It's not your can't beat yourself up about this Darr. I've seen what guilt can do to a person." I explained, pointing at Parker. "He blames himself for what happened to Mom. A drunk driver ran a stop sign. The first couple of nights he got home from the hospital I could hear him cry himself asleep. Before those nights, I had never seen him cry, when he cut his finger open with a steak knife, not when he fell out of the highest tree, not when his dog died, never. Please don't do that to yourself." I spoke, gently. I rubbed his back and he fell asleep, head on the blanket. I walked around the room, not tired. I picked up all of the trash and just generally tidied up. I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes. _I am kind of tired._ I heard somebody get up, but I didn't open my eyes to see who it was. _It's my turn to sleep._

"Hey Tali? Wake up." I had just fallen asleep. It was Two-Bit. I sat up. Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally were there. Everybody else was still sleeping.

"What?" I stormed.

"We're gonna have a war council with those socs. Set up a rumble. Didn't know if you wanted to come?" Steve explained in a whisper. I nodded. I got up and walked over to where Parker was sleeping.

"Park? Parker. I'm gonna go with the boys. I'll be back in a couple hours." I told him. He nodded and we left quietly. We took Parker's car. I drove, Steve next to me, Two-Bit and Dally in back. We drove around town looking for Randy, the leader now that Bob was dead, of the soc war council. We picked up Tim Shepard somewhere along the line, squeezing him into the back next to Dally. We rode around town for about an hour before Two-Bit spotted him.

"There he is!" Two-Bit shouted, pointing to the corner. I pulled over and we all got out. _I have to imagine we all look pretty tuff. The leader of the Shepard Gang, the hood Dallas Winston, Steve Randle, Two-Bit Matthews, and me Tali Adders. A mix of leather and jean jackets walking across the street._

"Hey, Ape Face!" Two-Bit barked. He turned around and I recognized him immediately. Two-Bit, Steve, and Tim walked right up to them and started talking business. I stopped.

"Hey, Tali? You alright?" Dally asked, sounding worried.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine." I lied. _I've been getting real good at that lately._ We walked up and joined the rest of the guys. A hint of recognition blazed behind Randy's eyes.

"We want a rumble. Your guys. Our guys. Our lot. No weapons. Saturday. 7:00." Steve dared. Randy and the other socs turned around to talk. We turned as well.

"I gotta get out of here. I'm gonna be sick. I'm goin back to the car." I whispered. Before I got out, they turned around.

"We accept. You know the rules. See ya at the rumble, _new material._ " Randy smirked at me.

"What did you say? You little piece o shit!" Dally raged. He walked up and stood between Randy. All of the socs backed up except for Randy. Steve and Two-Bit held Dally back, Tim smiling at his buddy that was gonna jazz before we even got away. Randy smirked a cold, crooked grin, backed down and left. We walked back to the car.

"What was that? What did he mean?" Steve growled. I put my hand on my neck.

"Um, those were the guys who beat me up." I muttered. Two-Bit looked at me, eyes blazing.

"Ooh, I can't wait for the rumble. Beat those socs." Two-Bit grumbled. We drove to the hospital in silence, dropping Tim off. We all walked inside of Pony's room. Parker was gone, as well as Darry. Soda was in bed with Pony. _I'm guessing he woke up. That's good._ Johnny was probably out for a smoke & the rest of the guys thought that that was a good idea and left. I looked at Soda and Pony. They both looked so much younger. Pony wasn't on the mask anymore, he had the tubes in his nose. I sat down in the chair and fell asleep. Somebody had shaken me awake. It was Soda.

"Hey, Paxton's here to pick you up honey. Go home, change clothes. Get some actual sleep." he urged, kissing my head. I stood up and he walked me to the truck.

"How's the kid?" Paxton asked.

"He woke up once and they took of the mask." I informed. Pax nodded. We got home and I went up to my bedroom. I put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. My dad works till 11 tonight. I could hear my brothers wrestling on the floor. _Fourth graders forever._ I though and I fell asleep rather quickly.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi guys. I just wanted to thank sodasgirl1 for being my most faithful reviewer. Keep reviewing all of you guys. Thanks.

I woke up because someone was calling my name. _Can I not get one decent nap?_ It was Paxton yelling at me.

"Tali! Get down here!" he yelled. I got dressed and put my hair in tight braids. I jumped down the remaining stairs and ran into the kitchen. Soda was sitting/laying on the counter while Parker stitched the side of his head. His eyes were closed.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"The socs...jumped me on the...way here. I wanted to tell you...Pony's awake. I was coming...to take you to the hospital." he panted. I was combing his hair for a bump and then checked to see if his eyes were dilated.

"Okay. We can go to the hospital. I'll drive." I answered. He had a really bad black eye and a long cut on the side of his head. I helped Soda up and he went out to the truck. "I'm gonna probably spend the night at the hospital again and there's a rumble on Saturday at 7." I commented.

"Is that where you went?" Parker asked.

"A war council?" Paxton chimed in. _I hate when they do this to me. Finish each other's sentences. It's creepy._ I nodded.

"You could've gotten hurt. Why didn't you tell me?" Parker asked, his voice rising.

"I did Park. You were still kind of sleeping." I muttered. I could hear Paxton stifle a laugh as I walked out and got in the truck.

"Are you gonna fight in the rumble?" Soda asked suddenly. I looked at him, his eye black and his lip cut open.

"Well yeah. Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?" I asked, puzzled. He wouldn't look at me.

"I just...I don't want you getting hurt...like Pony did. I don't...don't think I could handle it." he whispered. He looked at me. Fear in his dark brown eyes.

"It's a skin rumble. No one gets real hurt in those. And if I do get stuck, I'll call one of you guys to help me." I reassured him. We were at the hospital by now, just sitting in the parking lot. He didn't say anything else. We got out of the car and he walked over to my side. We quickly kissed and held hands while we walked to Pony's room.

"What happened to you? Did the **happy** couple get into their first argument?" Two-Bit quipped.

"Nup. Socs jumped me while I was walking to Tali's house. Parker and Paxton had to drag me up the stairs." he confessed.

"Ooh, those damn socs. Already breaking rumble rules." Steve growled. Pony was sleeping, but he woke up. Darry was at work and Johnny and Dally...I don't know where they were. We all played a couple games of poker and Pony wouldn't quit asking when he could go home.

"I don't know Pony. When Darry gets back he'll get the doc." Soda pleaded for Pony to quit talking. Darry came to the hospital right after work, bringing actual food with him. He inspected Soda's head, shaking his own.

"I'll go get the doctor." Darry spoke. He left and thirty seconds later came back with the doctor.

"Okay, Mr. Curtis, seems like you're getting sick of this place." the doctor speculated, looking at his clipboard. Pony nodded eagerly. "Well, you're healing up very nicely. The only thing I'm concerned about is your appetite. Needless to say, the food in the cafeteria is really bad. So, I'm gonna say, you can go home tomorrow, but I want you to come back in two weeks to check in." he reasoned. Pony nodded again. "No horseplay and no school for an extra week. Understand." he asked, looking at Two-Bit and Steve. They nodded, their heads down and I let out a small laugh. "We'll give you pain meds and antibiotics for now and in two weeks, we'll see where you're at." he finished.

"Thank you sir." Darry shook the doc's hand. The doctor nodded and left.

"Thank God!" Pony shouted. We all played more poker and talked about the rumble that was set for two days from now.

"It's not fair that I ain't gonna be there." Pony complained, shaking his head. Dally and Johnny joined us in the room at one point in the night.

"Aw shucks Pony. I'll stay home if you want me to." Johnny assured.

"Nope. You're a good fighter and they're gonna need you." Pony disagreed. After a couple more games of poker, everybody fell asleep. Myself included.

"Tali. Wake up. Come with me." It was Soda. I took his hand and he drug me up and we ran down the hall. We ran up the steps to the roof of the hospital.

"What are we doing up here?" I asked. The sunset was beautiful.

"I just wanted to come up here with you. Just sit with me...will ya?" he asked. I nodded. We sat down and I put my head in his lap. We sat in silence for a real long time.

"How ya holding up?" I finally asked. Soda shook his head.

"I'm trying you know, but this is hard. That's my baby brother in there and I'm supposed to be the one to protect him. Ya dig?" he confided. I nodded and sat up. I started to rub his back.

"It's not your fault and even so, he's coming home today." I responded. He gasped and we stood up.

"It's today today!" he hollered. He took my hand and we flew back down the stairs and went into Pony's room. He was still sleeping.

"I got to go sign the release papers." Darry whispered. He left and Pony woke up.

"Hey how ya feelin?" I asked.

"I've felt better." he chuckled. I nodded.

"You ready to get out of here?" Soda asked.

"You better believe it!" he shouted happily. Darry came back into the room.

"Let's go little buddy." Darry smiled. _Wow. He never calls anyone but Soda little buddy. Darry hardly ever smiles. Interesting._ I observed. I went out into the waiting room, waiting for the three brothers to come out. The rest of the gang came out and waited with me. A nurse wheeled in a wheelchair. _I can see that going over real well with Pony._ I was right with my thinking.

"Darry, don't make me. I can walk out just fine." I could hear Pony protest.

"It's just hospital policy. Just sit down Pony. I'll wheel you out." Darry pleaded. They came out and Pony looked real mad. Soda was smirking behind them. Me and Two-Bit grabbed a wheelchair. Soda laughed. Soda pushed me down the hallway and Steve pushed Two-Bit. I could hear Pony laugh somewhere behind me. As we neared the corner, Steve and Two-Bit turned too early. They crashed into the wall and I could hear Steve cursing.

"Hang on! We're gonna win!" Soda yelled. We rushed through the door and fell down the steps. I landed on top of Soda.

"Are you okay?" I laughed, running my fingers through his dark and greasy hair. He nodded and we kissed. We were soon interrupted.

"Whoo-hoo that was fun! Wait a second...what do we have here?" Two-Bit chuckled. I got up and helped Soda.

"We crashed." I said simply. We walked over to him and Steve while we waited for the rest of the gang.

"Yeah. And did Soda have a boo-boo on his lip?" Steve quipped. Soda smiled, showing his busted lip from when he got jumped yesterday. I hit Steve in the back of the head and he let out an oomph sound. Pony and the rest of the guys came out soon thereafter. Pony looked at me.

"That was about one of the best things I've ever seen." he tried to laugh, but his ribs were still hurting so it turned into a cough.

"Meet you back at the house, Curtises and Adders." Two-Bit yelled as he, Steve, Johnny and Dally piled into Steve's truck. Me and Soda stayed with Pony while Darry went to go get the truck.

"You okay?" I asked Pony. He looked up at me.

"Yeah, my ribs just hurt and I'm really tired. It's funny. I was asleep for almost two days." he contemplated.

"You weren't asleep. You were unconscious." Soda piped up.

"The doctor said that your sleep schedule was gonna be messed up for a few days." I informed him. He nodded. Darry pulled up with the truck then. He got out and him and Soda helped Pony in. Soda sat in back with Pony and I sat in front with Darry. We got back to the house and Steve's truck wasn't there. _They probably went to the Dingo._

"Let's go guys. We're home." Darry said. When nobody moved we both turned around. Both brothers were sound asleep. Darry looked at me. "I'm not gonna lift Pony. I don't want to risk hurting him and Soda's too heavy." he whispered.

"You help Pony, I help Soda?" I offered. He nodded. We got out of the car. Darry had an easier time with Pony seeing that he actually woke up. Soda kind of woke up.

"Soda. Hey. Come on. I gotta get you to the bedroom." I whined. _He really is heavy._ He kind of complied. He got out of the truck and I put my arm around his shoulders and helped him up the stairs. Once we got inside I threw him on the couch. Darry took Pony to Darry's room and came back out.

"Why don't you go get some sleep in Soda's room?" Darry asked. I was really tired, but I shook my head.

"No. I insist. Go. I'll call your brothers to keep me company." he ordered. I nodded, giving in. I got up and walked down the hallway and got into Soda and Pony's bed. I thought about all of the recent events and fell asleep real quick.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys! Please keep reviewing. They make me so happy. If you guys have any questions please pm me or say it in your reviews. I'm not gonna be able to update for the rest of the week. This chapter is a little bit short and boring, but the next couple of chapters will be more exciting. The rumble, the rodeo, and another little twist that has to do with her old life in Jersey! Thanks! Stay Gold!

I woke up with somebody next to me. It was Soda. His arm was around me and he was awake.

"Hi." he said.

"Hi." I replied. I sat up and gave him a hug. "How's Pony?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I don't know. He was still asleep when I woke up and came in here. Oh, you're brothers are here too." he said. I looked at him and nodded.

"Yeah. When Darry forced me to go to bed, he said he was gonna call em." I explained. We got out of bed and walked down the hall. Darry's bedroom door was still closed, so I could tell that Pony was still sleeping. Darry was sitting in his recliner and Paxton and Parker were sitting on the couch, talking and laughing with Darry. Parker looked up.

"Ah, the sleeping couple awakes." Parker snickered. I glared at him.

"We're gonna take you home and play some games. Eat some food. Sound good?" Paxton asked. I nodded and looked at Soda.

"I realized that I have been to your guy's house for the past, oh, three weeks is it? I think it's time that you guys come over to mine. We could get the whole gang." I told them. Paxton and Parker looked at each other.

"Why don't we just have Soda, Darry, and Pony over tonight. The rest of the gang can come over sometime else." Parker countered. I looked at Soda, he nodded. I looked at Darry, he nodded too.

"I'll go wake Pony." was Darry's reply. He got up and walked down the hallway.

"I've been to your house once." Soda reminded me.

"That doesn't count. My brothers had to carry you up the steps to keep you from getting your head bashed in." I quipped. Darry came out with Pony trailing right behind.

"You ready to go?" Paxton asked no one in particular. We all said yes. We walked over to my house. I opened the door and Rain came over to greet us.

"You never told me you had a dog." Soda whined.

"It never came up." I replied. We walked into the living room and sat down. Me and Soda sat on the couch together.

"'m gonna go make dinner. Chicken and potatoes. Sound good?" Parker asked. Everyone nodded. Rain jumped up onto the couch and Soda was rubbing her ears.

"You're really good with dogs." I complimented. He looked at me, his famous grin on his face.

"Yeah, back when I was 12, I did saddle bronc in rodeos and hung out at the stables and kennels. Dad made me quit after I tore a ligament, but I still hang around there." he told me. "Hey Darry? Maybe next Friday we could go to the rodeo." Soda asked looking at his oldest brother.

"Can I go too?" Pony asked.

"I don't know. I think they wanted a little alone time." he said, winking at us.

"Could we? I mean, have some alone time? Just this once, then the whole gang can come next Saturday." Soda pleaded with Pony. He nodded. I stifled a laugh.

"Dinner is served!" Parker announced, passing plates around.

"Guess what Park? Our little girl's goin on her first date!" Paxton smirked. Parker grinned.

"Okay, okay, how do rumbles work around here?" Parker asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh yeah! This is your first rumble with us!" Soda exclaimed. The three of us nodded.

"Get to our house around five, or spend the whole day with us. We'll eat dinner then get ready. We'll go to the lot and make introductions with the Shepard gang and the Brumly boys. The socs will get there right at 7." Darry informed us. We nodded again.

"It's a skin rumble, so no weapons." Soda added.

"What are you gonna be doing while we're rumbling?" I asked Pony.

"Oh, catching up on homework I guess." he said glumly.

"Let's play a game!" I exclaimed, changing the subject.

"Let's arm wrestle!" I suggested. All five boys stared at me.

"What? Just because I'm a girl, that means I can't whoop your asses at arm wrestling?" I taunted. They all looked at me and burst out laughing. I looked at them, my hand on my heart, mock-hurt.

"Fine. Pony arm on the table. Now." I instructed. He put his arm down and I sat on the other side. We started wrestling and I beat him easily.

"That doesn't count. I just got out of the hospital." he whined.

"Okay fine. Soda, your turn." I instructed. He did as told. He laughed and put his arm down. I scoffed. We started and he was a little harder, but I beat him.

"Oh come on! I let you win!" he whined.

"Mhmm." I smirked. "Let's go Park." I nodded to the table. _I'm gonna do Darry last. He was the strongest._ I wrestled with Parker for a good five minutes. I beat him too. He didn't say anything, just nodded, accepting his defeat. Paxton went next and I finally gave up. I sat down on the couch huffing. Paxton stood up flexing his muscles.

"What was that about whooping asses?" he teased. I kicked him and he yelped. "I think winner gets to pick next game!" Paxton sang.

"No. I think it's time for us to go. We've all got a long day tomorrow." Darry decided. Pony and Soda got up. Soda turned, kissed me, and said goodnight. They left and I started cleaning dishes.

"Nup. You go on up to bed, you've had a long week. We'll finish." Parker said. I nodded. _It had been a long week and I was super tired._

"Thanks!" I shouted as I walked up the stairs. I switched into a sweatshirt and sweatpants and got into bed. _Tomorrow I'm gonna be the only girl in the rumble unless Angela Shepard shows up. I highly doubt she will. She doesn't go for rumbles. What's the worst that could happen?_ I fell asleep deep in my thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi guys. Sorry for such a long time for you guys to wait. I had Spring Break last week & was a whole bunch of places. Thanks for your patience. As always, please review. This one is gonna be kind of long.

"Wake up Tali. Wake up, it's okay. You're safe." It was Soda talking. I woke up in a cold sweat and I hugged him super tightly. I started crying into his shoulders. He was sitting on my bed.

"We couldn't wake you up. You were screaming for Soda, so we called him over." Paxton whispered. He looked really sad. _This was the first time he couldn't wake me up from a nightmare._ He looked really hurt. I felt really bad.

"Here. Take this & drink this." Parker ordered, handing me two aspirins & a glass of water. I guzzled it down & I thanked & apologized to Paxton & Parker. They nodded it off & went back to their own bedrooms. Soda got up to leave.

"Soda? Can you stay with me?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes. He nodded & I scooched over as he got in bed. He put his arm around me.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" he asked in a gentle voice. I was gonna say no, but he added,

"And don't even tell me that you don't remember because you do. I can see it in your eyes." I didn't look at him. I picked at my blanket. I didn't say anything for about five minutes. I cuddled up closer with Soda.

"Um, it was about the rumble. Ok. Before I tell you, you have to promise not to tell my dad or brothers." I said before going into anymore details. He nodded.

"Okay. It was about you Soda. I know it sounds stupid, but you got hurt, & by the time...we got you to the...to the hospital...you... you had died." I sobbed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me.

"Tali, nothing's gonna happen to me, or any of us." he reassured. I nodded & fell asleep.

I woke up & Soda was still in bed with me. He was already awake.

"You could've gone down stairs & gotten breakfast." I told him, feeling kind of guilty.

"It's okay. I wanted to wait up for you." he replied. I went into the bathroom. I left my hair down & walked out. We walked down the stairs together & into the kitchen. There were already two plates of eggs sitting on the counter.

"Do you have any grape jelly?" Soda asked. Parker looked in the refrigerator & took it out.

"Are you putting that on your eggs?" I asked, disgusted. I was slathering strawberry jelly on mine. Soda looked at me. He had a disgusted look on his face.

"How is strawberry any better?" he asked.

"Aw, the couples having their first argument & it's about food!" Parker & Paxton hollered in unison. Soda looked at them.

"It's really creepy how they do that." I told Soda. The twins laughed. We all sat down & ate our eggs. My dad came into the kitchen & nodded at Soda.

"What are your plans this fine Saturday?" he asked, leaning over the counter.

"We're gonna be at the Curtis' all day." Parker told him. Dad nodded.

"There's a rumble tonight." I piped. _I had to tell him at some point._ He looked at me, then the twins, then at Soda.

"Well, kick some ass. Don't get too beat up." He sighed, ruffling my hair.

"I'm gonna go into work today. I'll be home around 11. Have a good day." he smiled. He kissed me on the forehead & left. I finished the dishes & me & Soda walked back up to my room. I started packing a bag.

"What'dya need all of that for?" he asked.

"Back in Jersey after rumbles, I was the medic." I explained, packing thing of thread & a needle, gauze & band-aids.

"What's the hair grease for?" he asked. I looked at him.

"I grease my hair back for rumbles." I told him. I finished packing & we walked down the stairs. He kissed me. Parker, Paxton, Soda, & I headed over. We got to the house & walked right in.

"Howdy." Two-Bit shouted while he was wrestling with Steve.

"Holler Uncle!" Steve shouted.

"Never!" was the reply. Finally they quit after Steve won. We arm wrestled, regular wrestled, played poker, & ate chocolate cake the day away. Darry went into the kitchen & started to make dinner.

"So, what are you gonna do while we rumble?" Paxton asked Pony.

"I'm gonna catch up on my homework I guess." he whined.

"After the rumble, do you want to patch everybody up?" I asked, trying to get him in a better mood. He nodded eagerly.

"Time for dinner!" Darry shouted from the dining room. We all ran to the dining room & destroyed all of the food. We were all super hungry. Within 30 minutes, it was all gone. It was about 6 o'clock & we all started to get ready. I put on a black t-shirt & a pair of jeans. A pair of black converse & we all put a lot more hair grease then we needed to. I slicked my hair back & noticed that all of the guys were looking at me. Even Darry.

"What?" I asked, wondering if I had something on my face.

"You look beautiful!" Soda exclaimed, wrapping his arms around me & lifting me up. We kissed & I could hear Steve & Two-Bit laughing in the background. He put me down.

"Let's go!" I shouted & we all went flying out of the door. Darry flipped over the fence, landing on his feet. Soda flipped on his hands & walked across the hard, then did a no-hands cartwheel across the yard. Steve jumped up onto the truck & flipped backwards of of it. I jumped onto Paxton's back & flipped into Parker's arms.

"I am a Greaser!" Soda chanted.

"I am a JD & a hood! I blacken the name of our fair city! I beat up people!" he shouted.

"I rob gas stations! I am a menace to society! Man do I have fun!" I screamed.

"Greaser Greaser Greaser. Victim of environment, under privileged, rotten, no count hood." Steve sang. We continued the song until we got to the lot & calmed down. It was about 6:50 when we got there. We made introductions with the Shepard Gang & Brumly Boys. Right at 7:00, the socs showed up. It was 24 of them, to 20 of us. Soda said before that Darry liked to take on two at a time, so the odds were as even as we could get. Parker leaned over.

"If you get in trouble, just holler for one of us." he whispered. I nodded. Randy was there. Darry & Paxton stepped up & so did Randy & a soc I didn't recognize.

"We'll take anyone." Paxton hissed.

"You know the rules. No weapons. Only skin." Randy said, cracking his knuckles. The four boys circled each other for the longest time, & then Paxton jumped on the unnameable soc. With that, the rumble was on. A soc took a swing at me, but I ducked & kicked him in the knee. His knee gave out & he fell face first into the mud. I turned around & a soc decked me, so I fell onto the soc I just dropped. He held onto my arms while the other one started slugging me. I could feel my lip & nose start bleeding. I rolled off of the soc I felled & rolled onto the one who was beating me. I cracked my knuckles over his head & my knuckles split open. It made him stop moving though. Just as I stood up, another one caught me in the corner of my head. It knocked me back onto the ground. It was Randy.

"I thought we were gonna have to finish what we started." he snarled. I was dazed from the punch. I had to keep blinking to keep from passing out. _He hit me hard._

"Get off of me ape face!" I growled. I was trying to wiggle out from under him & somebody kicked me in the head. I yelped in spite of myself.

"Soda! Pax! Park!" I heard myself shout. My voice sounded strangled. The world was spinning. Randy somehow got off of me & Soda knelt down next to me. My breathing was ragged. I could hear the socs yelling as they retreated back to their mustangs. Every greaser was hollering & I sat up slowly.

"We did it. We beat em." Darry said in a tired voice. We all walked back slowly to the house. Everybody sat on the floor, except for Two-Bit who lay stretched out on the couch. Pony passed out chocolate cake to everyone. I got my medic kit. My hands were shaking & I felt dizzy. I went to Two-Bit first. I stitched his eyebrow up & put a bag of ice on his eye.

"Take your shirt off." I ordered. He tried to laugh.

"Soda. Your girls telling me to strip down." I looked at him, trying to be serious.

"No. I want to make sure you don't have any cracked ribs." I told him. He did as told & groaned while doing so. He had a huge bruise along his chest.

"Two-Bit!" I cried, looking at him, a grim smile on his face.

"Soc bigger than Darry...smashed me into the ground." he explained.

"Ice?" I shouted to Pony & he came back with a big bag of it.

"Here. Keep this on it & don't move." I instructed him. I moved to Johnny & Dally. They were barely hurt at all. I put a band-aid on Johnny's chin & wrapped some gauze around Dally's arm. Parker had a big bruise on his cheek & a cut lip. Paxton was spread out on the floor, groaning. Seven stitches in his cheek from a class ring, a black eye, four stitches in the back of the head where a soc used a broken pop bottle, & probably a broken rib. I was really shaky & my head was swimming. Steve was fine, barely a scratch, same as Darry. When I got to Soda, my head was pounding & I was seeing spots. I felt really hot. Soda's leg was cut open & as I stitched it up my hands were shaking real bad.

"Okay. Time to patch you up." Paxton said. I stood up & felt my legs swaying underneath me.

"Somebody catch her!" Somebody shouted, as I relaxed into darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you guys for the reviews. Special thanks to one guest who I know. Yes I'm talking about you. They really make my day. Here's another chapter. There is a lot of talking in this one, so it might be pretty long. Please review.

"Tali? Are you awake? Open your eyes." It was my dad's voice. I moaned so that he knew I was awake, but my eyes just didn't want to open.

"Come on Tali. Open those beautiful blue eyes. You can do it." It was Soda this time. I opened my eyes & the whole gang, Paxton, Parker, & my dad were there. The room was blindingly white. I was in the hospital.

"Hi. How are you?" Parker asked. I looked at him.

"What happened?" I asked. I was really confused.

"You don't remember?" Steve asked. I shook my head.

"What's the last thing you do?" Pony asked.

"Um…" I had to think about this for a second.

"Um, Was I stitching Soda's leg?" I asked. Soda nodded.

"You passed out & we called your dad." Darry explained. I nodded.

"Can I talk to Soda alone?" I asked. Everybody nodded & walked out. I actually looked at Soda. He had a black eye, but they were both red & puffy. He had been crying.

"Come in here." I instructed him, scootching over on the small hospital bed. He got in, being careful not to touch my wrist. I just noted that my cast was red, my favorite color. He gave me a real big hug & was stroking my hair.

"You had me so scared." he choked. I squeezed him even tighter.

"I was the one who caught you...you scared me Tali." he cried. I could feel my hair get wet.

"Hey. I didn't get too hurt. I kept the promise." I told him.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, changing the topic.

"Um, we brought you here on Saturday night & it's Monday morning, so about a day. Nobody, really got any...sleep." he yawned. I was really tired too. Soda fell asleep, his head on my shoulder & before I knew it, I fell asleep my head on his.

I had to spend the rest of Monday in the hospital, spent playing poker & sleeping. Tuesday came & I got to go home. I suddenly felt the same thing Pony felt when the nurse rolled the wheelchair in. Paxton drove, dad sitting in the passenger, & Parker sitting in the back with me. I fell asleep lying down on Parker.

"Come on. It's time to get up." Paxton said, shaking me gently. I groaned & finally, Parker just picked me up & carried me up the stairs into my bedroom. I mumbled a thank you & he left shutting the door. Rain jumped up on the bed & I cuddled with her for a couple minutes. I got up & she whined, staying on the bed. I cleaned up my bedroom & changed my clothes. I got into a pair of jeans & a Minnie Mouse t-shirt with a jean jacket. I put my hair in a messy bun & walked down stairs. It was kind of difficult with a cast on.

"In the kitchen!" Paxton yelled. I walked in & found my brothers arm wrestling.

"Just give up!" Parker yelled through clenched teeth.

"Never!" was the reply. After about eight minutes, Parker won.

"How ya feelin'?" Paxton asked. I nodded.

"I'm good. My wrist really itches though." I confessed.

"Do you want us to take you over to the Curtis'?" Parker asked.

"What are you guys gonna be doing?" I questioned.

"We're gonna go to the Dingo." they said in unison.

"Sure you can take me." I nodded. We walked over to their house & I waved by to my brothers. They left & I walked through the door.

"Hello Curtises, Randle, Cade, Winston, & Matthews. Adders is here." I shouted. I was in a particularly good mood. All of the boys looked up.

"Hey!" Soda greeted, jumping up.

"How are you kid?" Dally asked, getting up off the couch.

"I'm good. I'm actually in a good mood. Dally, keep your seat. I'm taking Soda to the park. If that's okay with Darry of course." I said. Darry nodded. Soda put his shoes on & I grabbed his hand while we walked out. We got to the park & sat on the browning grass. I put my head oh is shoulder & we sat in silence for what felt like a real long time.

"So, our date on Friday? What's the plan?" Soda asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, come to my house around six, & we'll eat dinner. Then, we'll go play some games, then we'll watch saddle bronc." I told him. He nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." he said. Again, we we were silent.

"Can I tell you somethin'?" he asked.

"Yeah. Anything." I replied, sitting up.

"When I was twelve, I did saddle bronc. I had this horse named Mickey Mouse, damn. He was mean. He wouldn't listen to no one, he kicked the other horses, he was mean. One day, I went to go ride him, get some practice in. He was gone, nameplate, everything. I ran to the stables office & asked Mr. Miller what happened. "Son," he said, "We had to sell Mickey. He was a real valuable horse son. I'm sorry." he told me. I ran back home & locked myself into my room. I wouldn't let anyone in & I cried myself to sleep. After that, I went to the stables everyday to see if he came back." he confessed.

"Oh Soda." was the reply I gave. We didn't even notice that it started raining. Soda got up & held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, politely.

"You may." I laughed & he helped me up. We danced for a long time before it started to pour. We ran back to the house & we were laughing super hard. We ran into the house & kissed in the doorway.

"Eww!" Two-Bit & Steve hollered. We were absolutely soaked.

"You guys are gonna get pneumonia! Go change!" Darry spoke, motioning towards Soda's & mine wet clothes making a puddle on the ground. We ran into the bedroom laughing.

"Here. You can wear these." Soda chuckled, giving me a pair of sweatpants & an old sweatshirt. I ran into the bathroom, changed, & came running back into the bedroom. There was a half naked Sodapop.

"Oh, um...I'm sorry. I'll...I'll uh...I'll go." I blushed. I turned around & walked into the living room. I sat on the floor & Soda came out sitting next to me.

"So, what'd you guys do?" Two-Bit asked, Steve snickering behind him.

"We talked & then we danced." I told them.

"Where did you go dancin'?" Pony asked.

"In the rain." me & Soda said in unison. We started laughing.

"We're turning into my brothers!" I laughed. After that we played poker & watched Mickey Mouse, waiting for the rain to let up. It was raining so hard, you couldn't even see the other side of the street.

"Why don't you call your brothers & tell them you'll spend the night here." Darry ordered.

"Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded. I walked over to the phone & dialed the phone number.

"Hello. Parker speaking." he said in his official voice.

"Hey Park. It's Tali. I'm gonna spend the night at the Curtis'." I told him.

"That's fine. See ya tomorrow." he said, hanging up.

"We'll all spend the night." Two-Bit offered.

"Can they?" Pony pleaded with Darry.

"I guess, but where are we all gonna sleep?" he asked.

"Tali, you can sleep in my old bedroom, Darry, you can sleep in yours. Pony & me will sleep in ours, & the guys can figure it out out here." Soda stated matter-of-factly.

"I call the couch!" Steve yelled.

"No! I do!" Two-Bit yelled back, resulting in yet another wrestling match.

"Holler uncle!" Two-Bit hollered, putting Steve in a headlock.

"Never! The first one to say uncle loses the couch!" Steve hollered back, flipping Two-Bit off of him. Me & Soda since we were on the floor, decided to scootch back.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Two-Bit yelled, fake-pouting.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go to bed." I said, getting up off Soda's lap. I stood up & motioned for him to follow me.

"I'll go with her. Help her get ready." Soda claimed, jumping up. We walked down the hallway holding hands. We got to the bedroom & Soda closed the door.

"It's my turn to tell you some sad & sappy stuff." I told him, dragging him over to the bed. We got into bed, & he pulled me into his chest.

"Spill your sappy story." he suggested.

"Okay, back in Newark, I had three best friends. Trenton Cuevas, Lana Reeves, & Julian Lucero. That was my gang. Paxton & Parker were the oldest, then Lana, then Trent, then Julian & me. Julian & me were twins. Not by blood or anything, but we looked the same, we had the same birthdays, we did everything together. It wasn't boyfriend/girlfriend. It was brother sister. There's something about the car accident I haven't told you. The reason Parker was driving. Julian had gotten jumped by some socs, worse than Johnny. Parker & my mom were coming back from seeing my aunt, & they saw him lying on the side of the road. Park loaded Julian into the backseat & my mother comforted him from the passenger side. As they drove, the drunk hit the truck. He killed mom instantly. When Parker woke up, he drug Julian & mom from the car & passed out again. The paramedics announced mom dead at the scene & rushed Parker & Julian to the hospital. Parker had to have surgery to repair the arm & lung & Julian had a better chance of dying from the beating, then the car accident, that had already claimed my mother's life, & very well could have my brothers. Julian had internal bleeding & a major concussion. The doctors said that he was gonna die & that my twin might not even remember me." I stopped when I realized I was crying.

"We can stop if you want to." Soda told me. I shook my head.

"Anyways, he woke up while I was watching him. He didn't remember me & he wanted me to get out. I didn't know where to go, so I found my way to the lobby & almost fell asleep when somebody started shaking me. It was Trent & Lana. "He's dying. He wants to see you." Lana told me. We ran into the room & I sat down. "I'm sorry I didn't remember you. Doc says I'm in pretty bad shape." I had shaken my head. "Listen...One day...you'll find somebody you love. I would have loved...to be there...twin. I'm gonna...miss you." And he died." I finished the story.

"I am so sorry Tali. Truly sorry." Soda whispered.

"He would have absolutely loved you." I whispered back. We kissed & then, I fell asleep with "the one I love".


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys. Please keep reviewing. This one might be a little long, but we're getting ready for the big date!

"Wake up Tali! Your safe! It's okay! We're all safe!" It was a whole bunch of voices. I sat up & opened my eyes. All of the gang was sitting on the bed or standing around it. Soda's arms were wrapped around me.

"I'm...sorry. You...guys go back to bed." I whispered.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked, his black eyes wide with fear. I nodded.

"Yeah. I'm okay." I reassured. All of the guys, except Soda, left.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"Um, it's 4:30 Wednesday morning." he yawned.

"I'm sorry I woke everyone up." I apologized.

"It's okay. Really. It was just a nightmare, do you remember what it was?" he asked. I shook my head.

"That's okay." he reassured. He hugged me tighter.

"I'm not gonna be able to go back to sleep." I told him.

"Okay. What do you wanna do?" he asked.

"I don't know. What about some chocolate cake?" I asked. He nodded.

"Be right back." he got up & left. He came back in with two plates of cake. He sat down on the bed.

"So… you wanna tell me what it was?" he asked. I shook my head no.

"Come on Tali. You need to tell someone. Please." he almost whined.

"Ok. It was about the gang in Jersey & the gang here. They came down & you all made me pick. I picked you guys & we had a rumble. It was terrible." I sobbed.

"Oh baby. It's okay. We would never make you choose." he comforted. We were done with the cake & put the plates on the nightstand.

"Soda?" I asked, drifting to sleep.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Don't ever leave me." It came out more of a question.

"Never." I fell asleep, feeling more safe then I had in a long time.

I woke up and the birds were singing. _I've missed so much school. How am I ever gonna make it all up?_ I wondered.

"Darry I don't wanna. They make me sick!" I could hear Pony shout from the living room or kitchen. I got out of bed & walked into the living room.

"Okay. I'll call the doc & see if we can get you some new pain pills." Darry nodded.

"Thank you." Pony said. Darry went to the phone. Pony looked at me with a sick face.

"You okay?" I asked. He shook his head & ran into the bathroom. I ran after him. He was throwing up into the toilet. I ran to the kitchen & got him a glass of water. I went back to the bathroom & flushed the toilet. I crouched down next to him & gave him the glass. Soda was at work & Darry was on the phone, so I had to turn into my nurturing self. Pony was sitting next to the toilet crying.

"It hurts. My ribs hurt & the pills make me sick. I hate this." he cried.

"I know. It's okay. Darry's gonna take you to the doctor. It's gonna be okay." I whispered, giving him a hug. Darry ran into the bathroom.

"Ponyboy, are you okay?" he asked, concern filling his voice. Pony nodded.

"I got you in. They had a bunch of cancellations. Let's go." he said. We got up off of the floor & Pony gave me a hug.

"Thank you." he whispered. I nodded as we walked back into the living room.

"I'll drop you off on the way Tali." Darry decided, as we walked to the truck. We drove over to my house & I got out.

"I'll more than likely be back sometime. I need Pony to check my homework." I told Darry. Pony laughed. They left & I walked inside. Parker actually went to school, & he was gonna bring back my homework. Paxton was laying on the couch.

"Hey! How ya doin'?" he asked, as I slumped into dad's recliner.

"Good. I want this cast off though." I told him. He shook his head.

"No. Not that. Darry called us this morning saying that you had another nightmare. He said you talked to Soda about it." he answered. _No! I don't want to talk about it with him. Not now._

"I told him about Julian & the rest of the gang. That's what the nightmare was about." I whispered.

"Oh Tali, I'm sorry." Paxton replied, getting off the couch & giving me a hug.

"I'm gonna go to my bedroom. Can you tell me when Park gets home?" I asked. He nodded. I walked up the stairs & Rain followed. I got to my bedroom & started looking through my closet. I found a box labeled **_Memories_**. I brought it out  & put it on my jumped up & started sniffing it. I took the book that was on top out. I started flipping through the pages. They all had pictures of the Jersey gang. Somebody knocked on my door.

"Come in!" I shouted, stuffing the box under my bed. Parker came in with a big bag full of my binders.

"Here's all your homework. I told all your teachers that you were real sick & that you'd be back next week." he explained, handing me the bag. I groaned.

"I'm gonna go to the Curtis' & do it. You guys are too loud & I wanna help Pony with his." I told him.

"Okay. Have fun." he replied. He left & I changed into a t-shirt, leather jacket, jeans, & a pair of converse. I grabbed the bag & left. When I got over to the Curtis', I didn't expect anyone to be there. I walked into the kitchen & started to work. I had a science & an english project.

"Howdy!" I jumped & threw my book at whoever it was. I looked up. It was Two-Bit.

"Holy shit Tali! Jesus! That hurt." he whined, holding the book in one hand, & his nose in the other. I got up & took the book from him.

"Sorry." I mumbled. I got up & took the book from him. He grabbed a tissue & stuffed it in his nose. He grabbed a beer & walked out, turning on the tv. I took my book & sat on the couch in the living room.

"Where are the other Curtises?" Two-Bit asked.

"This morning Pony got sick from the pills, so Darry took him to the doctors." I explained, as he grabbed another tissue. The two brothers came through the door.

"So?" I asked Pony.

"They gave me a new kind. He said that this wouldn't make me sick." he said, happily. I nodded.

"What happened to you? Did you get jumped Two-Bit?" Darry asked. I looked at him. His eye was black & his nose was still bleeding.

"Nup. Not jumped, I scared Tali & she threw her book at me." he explained. Darry looked at me.

"Good aim." he congratulated. I laughed. We played a couple games of poker before Soda & Steve came home.

"Hey baby." Soda greeted, kissing me. A sound of gagging arose from Two-Bit & Steve. I looked at Two-Bit.

"Do you want me to throw another book at you?" I threatened. He shook his head violently. Me & Pony went into the kitchen to do the rest of our homework.

"What does Soda want for his birthday?" I asked Pony. He looked at me.

"Anything that has to do with cars...I really think anything you get him will be good. He really likes horses too." he told me.I nodded & we went back to doing our homework. After about another hour, I looked up at Pony. His head was swaying & he looked sick.

"Pony? Are you okay?" I asked, getting up & moving closer to him.

"I...I don't...know." he quavered & passed out cold as I caught his head in my hands.

"Darry! Soda!" I shouted. They came running in.

"What happened?" Darry asked.

"I don't know. I looked up & he looked really tired." I reported.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Soda asked quietly.

"Yeah. He's just sleeping. We're gonna have to cut those pills in half." Darry reassured him. He lifted Pony up & took him to the bedroom, & we went into the living room. Darry came back out.

"He's out. The doc said that if that happened, to cut em' in half." he explained. We all nodded.

"I don't wanna wake Pony when I go in there. He needs his sleep." Soda said. I thought about this for a couple seconds.

"Why don't you spend the night over at my house?" I suggested. Soda looked at Darry & he nodded.

"As long as it's okay with Tali's dad." he agreed. I nodded as well. Soda snuck into Pony's room to pack a bag, & came back a couple minutes later.

"Are you sure he's okay? I accidentally turned the light on & he didn't even flinch?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah. He'll be fine. Let me go check on him, & I want you guys gone by the time I get back." Darry ordered, getting up. We said bye to the guys & left. We walked over to my house & walked through the door. Parker & Paxton were wrestling with each other.

"Howdy." Paxton greeted.

"Howdy." Soda said. They both stopped & got up.

"Soda's gonna sleep over here tonight. Pony got sick & needed his sleep." I explained. The twins nodded. Soda yawned loudly.

"We're gonna go on up to bed. We've had a long day. Goodnight guys." I concluded.

"Good night guys." they said, again in unison. Me & Soda laughed as we walked up the stairs. I looked back at the guys who had a puzzled look on their faces from the inside joke. We got to my bedroom & we fell asleep before any talking or anything could happen.


	14. Chapter 14

Hi guys. Thank you for your reviews. Tell me if you want me to keep going or end it. I want to continue it, but if you don't I'll stop. Please review. Thanks. This is a really short part, but it's the only good spot to stop, so I don't have this chapter like 4,000 words. :)

It's Friday now. ~~~~~~

I woke up & the sun was shining through my window. _Today was my date with Soda. I need to have Evie help me._ I heard a loud thump from downstairs. I ran down to see what happened. Everything was okay in the living room, so I ran into the kitchen. Paxton was swearing up a storm, laying on the floor.

"Paxton? What happened?" I asked, helping him up. I sat him on a bar stool & grabbed the sewing kit. He cut his eyebrow.

"I'm fine. Somebody spilled a shitload of water on the floor." he explained. I nodded, & finished sewing his eyebrow.

"Parker!" he yelled. Parker came rushing into the kitchen, shirtless & panting.

"What? What happened? Are you guys okay?" he asked, groggily. I grabbed a bagel & sat down. I wanted to watch this.

"Parker? Did you spill water on the floor this morning?" Paxton asked, slowly. Parker thought about his answer for a minute.

"I don't recall spilling. I very well could have, I suppose." he confessed. Paxton growled.

"Alyssa's gonna be pissed!" he snapped. He got up & chased him out of the room. I went & dialed Evie's number.

"Hi. It's Evie." she answered.

"Hi Evie. It's Tali. Can you come over to my house? I have my first official date with Sodapop." I explained.

"I'll be there in ten minutes!" she exclaimed, hanging up. I ran into the living room where Parker & Paxton were wrestling.

"Don't you guys have to go see Alyssa & Amelia?" I asked, trying to get them to leave. They got up & looked at each other.

"Oh shit!" they exclaimed. They ran up stairs & within three minutes, they were out the front door. I picked up everything they knocked over while fighting. _Pigs._ I opened the front door just as Evie was getting ready to knock.

"Thank you for coming. I'm having a mini panic attack!" I confessed. She gave me a hug.

"Hey. You'll be okay. I'll pick out a super cute outfit & then I'll do your hair." she comforted. We ran up the stairs & Rain followed. Me & Rain sat on my bed while Evie started rummaging through my closet.

"Find anything good in there?" I asked. She came out with an arm full of options. I ended up wearing a pair of jeans with faded knees, a peach tank top with a leather jacket, & a pair of converse. Evie waterfall-braided my hair & did it in a high ponytail.

"There!" she announced, finishing my makeup. It was now 3:00. We walked down the stairs together & saw the twins lying on the floor.

"Hi guys." Evie greeted. They both mumbled a hello.

"Well, I better go. Have a good first official date. Me, You, Steve, & Soda need to double sometime." she suggested. I nodded.

"That would be really fun. Thank you for helping me. Are you gonna go to the rodeo with Steve tomorrow?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Probably. I'll help any time you need me." she said. I watched her get into her car & leave. I walked into the kitchen & started to make the spaghetti & brownies. Paxton came sulking into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, taking the brownies out of the oven. He sat down on the bar stool & let out a big sigh.

"Alyssa broke up with me." he spoke sadly. I patted his back with the oven mitt.

"I'm not gonna eat with you guys, I'm gonna go to my room." he croaked. I put a couple brownies on a plate & made him take them with. He nodded sadly, & left. _He has never been this torn up by a girl before._ I checked the spaghetti & looked at kitchen clock. 5:45. Parker came into the kitchen.

"You look pretty." he complimented, stealing a brownie. I smacked his hand.

"Have you ever seen him like that?" I asked. He shook his head & somebody knocked on the door. I ran to go open it. It was Soda.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi you guys. Thanks for your reviews. I think I'm gonna start replying to you guys before I start the story.

Guest- Thank you for your review. I'm really glad you like it please keep reading.

Good Story- Thank you. I love the twins too. Paxton & Parker are really cute. I'm glad you like them.

Guest- Thank you Amelia.

These were all the newest ones, so, please keep reviewing. I love you guys.

"You look amazing." Soda exclaimed. I blushed. We kissed & walked into the dining room. We ate dinner & before we left, I had to run up & grab my purse. I went into Paxton's room to tell him bye. He wasn't there, but all of the brownies were. I ran back down the stairs. Parker & Soda were waiting & talking by the door.

"Pax isn't in his room. Just wanted to let you know. We'll be home around midnight or 1:00." I told Parker. He nodded.

"Have fun you guys!" he yelled, as we walked to Soda's truck. We got in & started driving to the fairgrounds.

"Where's Paxton?" Soda asked.

"His girlfriend broke up with him & he's taking it kind of hard." I explained. He shook his head.

"That hurts." he said. We got to the fairgrounds & walked through the gate. We played a couple carnival games & Soda won me a giant stuffed panda.

"Thank you!" I squealed.

"These are my favorite animals." I bubbled. _This night was the best night ever._ We bought popcorn & Pepsi & made our way over to the bleachers. We watched the first couple & they were pitiful. We were both dying of laughter.

"Now riding, Brantley Young, on Mickey Mouse!" the P.A. announced. Soda dropped his popcorn & I spit my Pepsi out. He was doing great until Mickey threw him off & Brantley's leg was twisted at an odd angle. The medics took him away & we ran to the stables office.

"I need to speak to Mr. Miller right away." Soda told the secretary. She pointed to the office at the end of the hallway. We walked down to the office.

"That can't be the same Mickey...my Mickey. Can it?" he whispered. I shook my head.

"I don't know." I whispered back. Soda knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a voice shouted. Soda opened the door.

"Sodapop Curtis! I was wondering whether I was going to see you or not tonight." the big man boomed. He held his hand out to me.

"Mr. Miller." he introduced.

"Tali Adders." I said, shaking his hand.

"Mr. Miller, is that Mickey Mouse the same Mickey?" Soda asked. Mr. Miller nodded.

"Yes sir. We got him back two weeks ago. I would have called you the moment he got here, except Brantly, his rider from California, came too." he sighed. Soda sighed too.

"Sir? What are you gonna do now that Brantley's hurt?" I asked. He let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I was hoping that Sodapop would ride him. Seeming how they're old pals." he pleaded.

"Yes! Absolutely! Can we go to the stables now?" Soda exclaimed.

"Why of course we can!" he shouted, happily. We walked back down the hallway.

"Macy! Get these fine people anything. Any calls, tell them to call the stables." Mr. Miller announced. Macy nodded & we walked to the stables. Soda ran into Mickey's stall.

"Mickey!" he shouted happily. The horse neighed & Soda put his head on his long snout. The phone rang & Mr. Miller nodded for me to answer it.

"Hello. Tali Adders speaking." I greeted.

"Good. It's Buck. Paxton came in & he's rip-roarin' drunk. He's beating the shit out of people & he's getting beat too. I need you to pick him up." he explained.

"Oh, okay. I'll be right there." I told him, hanging up. I walked back over to Mickey's stall. Soda looked so happy. _Leave it to Paxton to ruin my date._

"Soda?" I asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He looked away from his horse.

"Yeah." he answered.

"We gotta go. Paxton needs me." I spoke quietly. Soda looked at me, worry in his eyes.

"Okay. Mr. Miller, I will be here tomorrow, with the gang at 1:00 & I will ride for you sir." he said, officially. We ran back to the truck.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He's drunk & tearing up Buck's place. He's getting into fights." I explained. I wiped a tear off my cheek. _Paxton ruined our night._

"Hey. What's wrong?" Soda asked, interrupting my thoughts. I looked at him, his dark eyes flooded with worry.

"I'm sorry Soda." I blurted, even more tears streaming down my face.

"For what?" he asked, rubbing his hand on my leg.

"He ruined our date Soda. Paxton ruined our first date. We've waited so long, & he ruined it." I cried.

"It's okay Tali. We're coming back tomorrow. Take it easy on your brother. He has his heart torn & he's never felt like this before." he explained. I nodded sadly. We got to Buck's & ran into the bar room. Paxton was just sitting at the bar, his stitches from the morning reopen. Buck saw us & came over.

"Hey. He seems to be a'ight now. He broke my buddy's nose & he won't let us touch his head." he told us. Soda nodded.

"Let me go talk to him. Stay here." Soda commanded. He walked over & sat on the bar stool next to him. _He's even more drunk than what Two-Bit normally is._ Everything was good, so I called Parker.

"This is Parker." he said.

"Park? This is Tali. Pax is super blitzed. He got in a bar fight. He broke somebody's nose, he's bleeding, but won't let anyone touch him. We're at Buck's. Will you come help us?" Soda can't take him on by himself if he starts something." I told him. It was silent for a couple seconds.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't let Soda do anything." he spoke, hanging up. I went back to watching Soda & Pax. Parker joined me a few minutes later. The blood was still coming from Paxton's head.

"What's the plan?" I asked Park. Soda came over them.

"Um, well, you stay here & me & Soda will wrestle him into the truck." Parker asked. Soda nodded & I glared at him.

"Let me help you. I can help you guys." I pleaded with them. They looked at each other & nodded.

"Fine." they gave in. We walked over to Paxton.

"Hi Pax." I greeted.

"Hi Tali-i. What're you doin here?" he slurred.

"Buck called me. Said you were getting into some trouble." I told him.

"No. That never happened." he replied. _He doesn't even remember._ I was getting really mad.

"We're gonna take you home now." I whispered. Paxton started yelling & Soda & Parker stepped in front of me. Pax started throwing punches, as well as Park & Soda. It was really loud. Parker's eye was already turning black & Soda's nose was bleeding.

"What the hell is going on here?" I spun around. It was Dally.

"Paxton's blitzed, & we're trying to get him into the truck." I choked on a sob. Just then, Paxton took a beer bottle & smashed it over Soda's head. He dropped to the floor unconscious.


	16. Chapter 16

Hi Guys. Thanks for the reviews. I got a review from a guest saying that the characters sleep a lot. I went back through & yes I guess they do. If you guys want me to continue to go with this storyline, please please help me with some ideas. It would be greatly appreciated. If you have an idea, please pm me. Thanks.

Sodasgirl1- Thanks for the review. I promise he'll be okay. Thank you for reviewing so much. I really appreciate it.

"Soda!" I screamed, running over & dropping next to him. Paxton suddenly stopped & Parker & Dally got him to the car. Dally & Parker came back & crouched down next to me. I was coddling the still unconscious Soda.

"Come on man. Wake up. You're freaking everyone out." Dally pleaded. _Nothing._ I was crying into Soda's hair, one hand pressed on the spot where it was bleeding. I looked up at Park. His eye was fully black.

"I'm...I'm gonna go...um, go take Pax back." he stuttered.

"Tali...spend the night at the Curtises tonight Dally make sure they get back safely." he instructed. Dally nodded. Park got up & left.

"I'm gonna go find a needle, so you can stitch him up." Dally told me. He got up & left me alone with the still unconscious Soda. I put my head on his, still pressing my hand on the spot. He smelled like beer. _God Paxton. You ruin everything. You ruined it with my last boyfriend in Jersey & probably ruined my relationship with Soda here. I hate you Paxton Cheyenne Adders. _Dally came running back & handed me the needle & thread. He helped me sit him up & Soda groaned slightly.

"Soda?" I asked.

"Mhm." was his reply. He opened his eyes slowly.

"Can you sit up?" asked, me & Dally helping him up. We helped him out to truck. Dally drove & I sat in back, Soda resting his head on my lap.

"Tali?" he asked.

"Yeah?" I replied. I looked down at him. I was stroking his had to move my panda to the passenger seat.

"What happened?" he asked. _Oh. Oh. Do I tell him my brother hit him? I guess._

"Paxton hit you with a beer bottle." I told him. He gently nodded.

"We're here." Dally announced. We got out of the car & Soda almost fell over.

"Woah man!" Dally chuckled. We rushed over & put our arms around him. We walked through the door & basically drug Soda.

"Jesus! What happened?" Two-Bit exclaimed, jumping from the couch. We laid Soda down on the couch & I knelt down next to him. Dally filled them in on what happened & Darry went to go grab the first-aid kit. I looked back at Soda who was teetering on the edge of passing out.

"Hey you gotta stay awake for a little while longer." I coaxed. He nodded vaguely. Darry came back & fixed my stitching mistakes.

"Darry?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"I'm sorry... You're prob...probably never gonna let us g...go on another date." I just started to cry. _I'm sure glad it's only Two-Bit, Johnny, & Darry here. Steve would probably, I don't know. I don't even know why I'm crying. I want to be mad. _Pony xme over & gave me a hug.

"Nup. He'll let you go & if he doesn't I'll skin him & I'll let you go." he reassured me. Darry let out a small laugh.

"I'll let you guys go. Why don't you two go to the bedroom. You don't have to go to sleep, but I don't want you guys going anywhere else tonight." Darry ordered. Soda spoke up for the first time.

"What about Mickey? I have to ride him tomorrow." He groaned. I filled him in on the whole Mickey story. Darry shook his head.

"I don't know Pepsi-Cola. You got hit real hard." He told Soda.

"Aw Darry. You gotta let me. I'll be careful. It's Mickey. He won't hurt me." Soda grunted. Darry shook head.

"I don't know. Go with Tali. I'll think about it." He requested. Soda groaned & got up off the couch. We walked down the hall & into his bedroom. We sat down on the bed. We weren't gonna go to sleep for ages.

"Ah. Sometimes he makes me so mad. Sometimes… I don't know. I don't know how Pony deals with him. I love him, don't get me wrong, but ah." he ranted. I shook my head.

"Don't be mad at Darry. It's not his fault. It's my fault. We shouldn't have gone to Buck's. I shoulda just called Parker & had him deal with Paxton." I started to cry again. _Damn Tali. Why are you crying?_ Soda leaned over & hugged me. We layed down & cuddled on the bed.

"Hey. It's not your fault. It's really not anyone's fault. It's okay." He assured me. I shook my head.

"No. It's Paxton's fault. It Paxton's fault for him getting dumped. It's his fault for getting so drunk he got in a bar fight. It's his fault he cracked you over the head with a freaking beer bottle. And it's his fault that you're more than likely not gonna be able to ride Mickey tomorrow. He ruins everything. He ruined stuff in New Jersey & now he's ruining stuff for me here." I stormed. Soda pulled me tighter into his chest.

"Hey. Paxton is not gonna ruin anything for you here. Nobody will. Especially Paxton. He's just hurting. He's a real good big brother Tali & he loves you. He's just hurt." Soda claimed.

"Sure." I mumbled. He was stroking my hair. _I love it when he does that. Strokes my hair. I love it when he talks me out of things. He could talk anyone out of anything. He's so sweet._ Soon, I heard his breathing even out & I could tell he was asleep. I fell asleep too, not knowing what to do about tomorrow.


	17. Chapter 17

Hi guys. Thanks for the reviews. I think this story might be coming to an end sadly. If you don't want it to end, I'm gonna need some ideas to keep it going. I've been having some writer's block lately. I think I'm gonna start another one. I think this one is going to be a girl for Pony. Tell me if you still want Tali to be there or not. I love you guys. Please review. Here's another chapter!

"Wake up Tali. It's almost time to go. Darry said I could ride!" I could hear Soda exclaim, jumping onto the bed. He jumped on top of me.

"Get off of me you heavy cow!" I giggled. He rolled off of me & layed next to me. He let out a happy sigh.

"Parker came over earlier & dropped a bag of clothes off for you." he recalled.

"What time is it?" I asked, sitting up & brushing the hair out of my eyes.

"Um, It's about noon right now. We have to leave in hour." he told me. I gasped.

"That's not enough time. You should have woke me up earlier. Can I go take a shower? Who's all here?" I asked, jumping up off of the bed.

"Woah, slow down. Yes you can take a shower. It's only Darry, me, Pony, & you." he spoke. I glared at him.

"Thanks!" I said, running into the bathroom. I turned on the water & got into the shower. _What am I gonna do? I'm probably gonna have to go home tonight. I don't wanna look at Paxton. I'm still super mad. I don't want to be near him. I shouldn't be holding this grudge, but I can't get past it._ I was interrupted by the water turning really hot.

"Holy shit!" I gasped, turning the nozzle all the way to cold. I could hear somebody laughing outside of the shower. It was Soda.

"What the Hell?" I exclaimed, not really mad at him. He was dying of laughter.

"I just came in here to put… put the bag for you! I tried to talk to you, but you didn't answer!" he laughed. I turned the water off.

"Get out Soda." I commanded. He was still laughing when I heard the door close. I got out of the shower & looked through my bag. I put on a medium green tank top, a pair of black jeans with ripped knees, & a jean jacket. I slicked my hair back with my hair grease. I walked out into the living room & sat down on the couch. Soda came out with two plates of chocolate cake.

"We're waiting for the gang to get here & then we'll leave." he noted, handing me a slice. I nodded & started eating it.

"Knock Knock Curtises! And Adders!" Two-Bit announced, bringing Johnny, Steve, & Dally with him. Soda & I jumped up & put our shoes on.

"Are we ready to go?" Darry asked, coming out of the kitchen. Everybody said yes & we started our walk to the fairgrounds.

"So, You are gonna be riding to be your long lost pal Mickey Mouse." Steve piped. Soda nodded.

"Yes I am Stevie & there is only one day of my life that I have been happier." he told.

"Oh yeah. What day was that?" Dally asked. Soda smirked.

"The day I met Tali." he smiled. Two-Bit & Steve started to choke. Soda & I shot them our best death glares. They stop & we started laughing. We got to the fairgrounds & walked in through the gates.

"Me & Tali are gonna go to the stables. Save Tali a seat in the bleachers." Soda declared. The boys nodded & left & we started down to the stables.

"You're gonna be careful aren't you?" I asked, suddenly. Soda looked at be with his big dark brown eyes.

"Of course. Nothing's gonna happen if that's what you're worried about." he promised. He took his arm & put it around my lower back. _I love this. This is what first date's are supposed to be like._ We walked into the stables & Macy pointed to the office. We walked down the hallway & opened the office door. Brantley was in, talking to Mr. Miller.

"Ah, Sodapop. Tali. This is Brantley Young. Mickey Mouse's former rider." Mr. Miller introduced. Brantley held out his hand & Soda took it.

"I'm Sodapop Curtis. I was Mickey's rider before he moved." he introduced himself. Brantley nodded & extended his hand towards me.

"I'm Tali Adders. Soda's girlfriend." I introduced. He kissed my hand & I blushed. Brantley moved his crutched out of the way & we sat in the other two chairs.

"So, in a couple minutes we'll head down to the stables & get Mickey ready. I would just like to say that I am proud of both of you." Mr. Miller pointed out. We got up & started to walk out.

"Sodapop? I would just like to say thank you for taking my place." Brantley thanked. Soda nodded & we walked down to the stables. Soda went into Mickey's stall & the horse let out a happy nicker.

"Hey Mickey." Soda greeted him, putting his head on the horse's snout. Mr. Miller nodded towards a few stable boys & they led Mickey to the fence while Soda got dressed & got ready to ride.

"You'll be careful?" I insisted. He kissed me, running his hand down my cheek. He jumped over the fence & got onto Mickey.

"Now riding Mickey Mouse, Sodapop Curtis!" the P.A. announced. I could hear the boys hooting & hollering from all the way on the other side of the arena. I laughed to myself. Soda & Mickey were doing great. At about eight seconds, Mickey threw Soda off & I cringed. Soda jumped off & Mickey was corralled back into his stall. Soda ran under the fence & kissed me.

"How was that?" he asked, between kisses. I shook my head at him & laughed.

"It was great." I giggled. We heard slow clapping behind us we turned around. It was the gang & Mr. Miller. Soda gave out his big Sodapop grin.

"Good job Pepsi." Darry congratulated. Soda nodded. Steve came over & gave him one of those guy hug things, pushing me out of the way.

"Um, excuse me." I interrupted. Steve looked at me & I glared at him. He grinned & backed up. Mr. Miller came over this time.

"Good job Sodapop. I knew I could count on you. Stop on over by the office when your done here & Macy will give you your pay." he addressed, turning to leave.

"Wait? What pay?" Soda asked, a confused tone to his voice. Mr. Miller let out a big laugh.

"You're old enough to get paid now Sodapop." he chuckled. Soda stared at him in disbelief. Mr. Miller laughed again & left.

"Woah." was all Soda could muster. Darry came up & put his hand on Soda's shoulder.

"Go get it. Take Tali out to dinner & then drop her off. Don't spend all of it." he insisted. Soda only nodded & we started our walk to the office.

"Where do you wanna go to dinner at?" Soda asked me. _I hadn't thought about that._

"What about the diner that Two-Bit's mom works at? I've never been there." I told him. He nodded again.

"Sounds good to me." he replied. We walked into the office & Macy was waiting at the desk for us.

"Here it is. $50 dollars." she said, handing Soda a white envelope. Soda took the envelope.

"Thank you." he maintained, we turned & started walking out of the fairgrounds. Soda was staring at the envelope wide eyed.

"$50 dollars for riding Mickey one time." he said, simply. I shook my head.

"That's crazy. That's almost three times more than what I make at the Dairy Queen in a week!" I exclaimed. We walked into the diner & sat down. Two-Bit's mom came over & started to talk to us.

"How are you doing Sodapop?" she asked.

"I'm doing good. How bout you. Mrs. Matthews?" he asked, back. Mrs. Matthews turned & looked at me.

"I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you dear." she told me.

"I'm Tali Adders. Soda's girlfriend." I introduced myself. She nodded.

"Two-Bit talks about you whenever he's home. My daughter really likes hearing stories about you." she spoke. I blushed. _What kind of stories is he telling?_

"So? What can I get the couple of the evening?" she asked us. I shook my head.

"I'll have whatever Soda's having." I told her. She nodded & looked at Soda.

"We'll have two pepsis, two bacon cheeseburgers, & one vanilla milkshake to split, two straws please." he ordered. Mrs. Matthews wrote it down & walked away.

"Do you know what Two-Bit told her?" I asked, slightly alarmed. He shook his head.

"Nup. But if he doesn't tell you when we get back, you can beat him to a pulp." he suggested. I laughed. Mrs. Matthews came back with the tray of food.

"Is my boy behaving himself?" she asked. I looked at her with a big grin on my face.

"As well as Two-Bit can behave ma'am." I replied. She laughed & left. We ate & then started on the milkshake.

"This is nice." Soda said. I nodded in agreement.

"So, am I taking you home after this?" he asked. _I really don't want to answer that._

"I guess. Can we walk through the park though first?" I asked.

"Yeah." I replied. We finished & tipped Two-Bit's mom. We walked out & started our walk back to my house. Soda put his arm around me & rested it on my lower back. _This is nice._

"Tali?" Soda asked suddenly.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Can this be considered our first date?" he asked. I laughed. He looked down at me.

"I was just thinking the same thing. Yes please. Let's pretend last night, except for the winning of the panda, happened." I agreed. He smiled.

"Good. I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. When I'm around you… I don't know. I just feel something that I've never felt before." he confessed. It was my turn to smile.

"I love you too. I love you so much. I get that same feeling too. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I must've done something pretty damn good." I told him.

"You are always good Tali." he informed me. I laughed. We got to my house & sat on the porch swing for awhile.

"I don't know if I wanna go in there. I know I said that I was over last night, but I don't know. I'm still mad at him." I croaked. He hugged me.

"I know. It's okay. Go on in. It'll be okay." he promised. I nodded. I got up & we shared a kiss. I walked inside & closed the door. Parker was sitting in the recliner, reading a newspaper.

"Howdy. How'd the rodeo go?" he asked.

"He did amazing. I'm so proud of him. After that, we went to the diner & classified that as our first date." I smiled. He nodded happily. Paxton walked into the living room.

"Hey Tali." he greeted. I didn't say anything & walked up the stairs. _Mom taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, walk away._ I got to my bedroom & closed & locked the door. I changed out of my clothes & into a oversized sweatshirt. I layed on my bed & started crying. I don't know why. I just did. I heard Paxton or Parker come up the stairs.

"Tali? Can I come in?" it was Paxton. I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. I heard him slump down against the door.

"Fine. Just let me talk. I was an ass. I shouldn't have gotten that drunk. I don't remember much, but Parker told me everything. I'm so sorry Tali. I didn't mean to hit Soda & ruin your date. I was a real jackass. I'm sorry. I don't think I've ever said anything so sincere before. I just, I got my heart ripped out & that's never happened to me before. I really thought Alyssa was it. I'm sorry." he started to cry. _My brother, the basketball star of Tulsa High, the greaser, started to cry._ I crouched down on my side of the door & started crying more too. Before I knew it, I fell asleep on the floor.


	18. Chapter 18

Howdy guys. I can't believe I've made it to 18 chapters. Thank you for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Guest-Well, here is another chapter, hope you like it!

Ammyqueen4629- Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

In this chapter I'm going to do part of it in Paxton's point of view because Tali isn't with him when blank happens & it's really important later. If you like me doing it in different P.O.V's tell me & I'll continue with that. Thanks!

I woke up on the floor. _I need to go for a jog. I need to clear my head._ I got up & looked in the mirror. I was still in my clothes from last night, but decided not to change. I looked at the clock & it read 2:37. I put a note on my bed.

 _I went for a walk. Be back soon._

 _~Tali~_

I opened the door & almost stepped on Paxton. He fell asleep like me. I walked down the stairs & walked out the front door. The cool night air felt good on my tear stained face. I walked down the porch stairs & my walk turned into a jog. Soon, I was in a part of town I probably shouldn't of been. I slowed down & looked around. _Yeah. I really should have watched where I was going._

"Tali!" I heard a voice shout. I turned around quickly. It was Paxton. He caught up to me & stood in front of me.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I glared at him.

"I'm going for a jog & you can't stop me." I stormed.

"Tali Marie Adders. You are coming home with me right now. We shouldn't be here." he whispered loudly. He tried to grab my arm, but I stepped back & he tripped. By the time he got up, I was gone. I started to run farther down the street. _How dare he think he can do that. After what he did. I have every right to be mad. Every right to hate him. But, I shouldn't be mad. Not anymore. I need to go back & we need to talk. Face-to-face. _I turned around & started to walk back to where I left Paxton.

*Paxton*

I stood there for a few minutes in disbelief. _Tali's never been mad at me before. Not ever. She's been mad at Parker, but never me. I guess I deserve it. I've been a complete jackass._ I turned around & started walking back the way I came. _Tali will come back when she's ready._ My thinking was interrupted by yelling. I turned around to see two thugs slam someone into a wall.

"You were supposed to pay last week! We been making nice, but not no more!" Thug 1 yelled. Thug 2 started slugging him & Thug 1 pulled out a gun.

"Hey! Aren't we getting a little extreme you guys?" I shouted. The two thugs whipped around & stared at me.

"What did you say?" Thug number 2 asked me. I started walking closer & Thug 1 was getting real antsy with his heater. I was getting kinda nervous.

"Here. How much does he owe?" I asked, pulling out my wallet. The guy they were beating on was on the ground, panting real hard. _He better thank me when this is over._

"No. Stay out of this pal. We want his money. Not yours." Thug 2 growled. Just then, Thug 1 rushed at the guy who was getting up. _He's gonna shoot him!_ I ran up & tackled the thug, but it didn't knock the gun out of his hands. _Damn._ We tussled around for a few minutes on the ground, me trying to get the gun away  & him, trying to shoot me. Craaaaaaaaaaak! The gunshot was deafening. He jumped off of me & all three guys bolted.

"Paxton! What happened? Are you okay?" I got up slowly & turned around. It was Tali. I put my hand on my shirt, under my leather jacket. There was a hole in the jacket that I ain't ever noticed before. My had was wet? Tali caught up to me & I stumbled into me.

"I feel kinda funny." I mumbled. I pulled my hand away & it was covered in blood.

"Shoot." I whispered. I lurched forward & tripped over the gun. Tali caught me & layed me down on the cold, hard cement.

"Paxton? Hey. I'm gonna go call an ambulance. Stay awake." she instructed. She got up & ran to a payphone down the street. She came back & knelt down next to me. I was getting real tired.

"Well, this put a real damper on my day." I whispered in my best British accent. She let out a sniffling laugh. She was crying.

"Hey. Don't cry. I'm...I'm gonna be fine." I probably lied. I wondered at that moment what God was gonna look like & how I was gonna react to seeing mom.

"Damn it! Would you stop bleeding?" Tali cussed. I laughed & then coughed. I turned up blood. _That can't be good._ Tali's cornflower blue eyes were filled with worry.

"Mhm...It hurts." I groaned. She started crying even more. I was getting real tired & I could faintly hear the sirens.

"Paxton… I… I don't hate you… I love you. You know that right? I love you & Parker…" I didn't hear the last part because I slipped into a peaceful darkness.

*Tali*

"Paxton? Come on wake up. Don't do this to me you bastard." I cried. My hands were still pressed against his stomach, & covered in blood.

"Ma'am? You need to back up so we can work. You can come in the ambulance, but please back up." a paramedic said lifting me away from my brother. He brought me over to an ambulance & put a blanket over me, while two others lifted Paxton in.

"Once we get to the hospital, you're gonna have to answer a couple police questions, but then you can wait in the waiting room. Is there anyone you want me to radio the hospital to call?" he asked. I rambled my dad's & Soda's number. He nodded & closed the ambulance door. The next couple, well, I don't really know how long it was, but it was a blur. Two times in the ambulance, he stopped breathing, by the time we got to the hospital, he had more tubes that what I cared to count, & he was rushed into surgery. The police took me into a conference room & asked me a couple questions, then I sat in the waiting room. I was crying quietly into my arms when two hands lifted up my face. It was Parker & Soda. They both gave me a hug & I could see my dad & the gang behind them.

"Is Paxton Adders here?" a voice behind them asked. It was Alyssa.


	19. Chapter 19

Wow. 19 chapters. I didn't think I'd make it this far. Thank you guys for the reviews. I love them so much. Here's another chapter for you guys. Love ya!

Guest-I know. Don't worry. She's not here for long. Thank you. I will continue. If you have any ideas that you want in here, please tell me & I'll try to fit them in.

Guest-I did read it. I don't really know why you had me read it though. Do you not like it? If not, what kind of stories are you interested in, & I'll try to make one.

The gang parted ways, & there was Alyssa. I stood up & glared at her. _She's the one who caused this._

"I just wanted to know if he's okay." she explained. I lost it on her.

"No he's not okay! Would we be here if he was okay? My God! Yeah. He's fine! This blood on me isn't from me trying to stop a gunshot wound. He's not in there dying in surgery! We're just out here because we want to be." I yelled. I started at her, but Soda held me back & Alyssa started crying. Parker walked her out & I sat back down.

"Who the hell does she think she is? She's the one who caused this." I started to cry again. The whole gang rushed over & gave me a hug, not caring if I got Pax's blood on us. _Wow. Our second big greaser hug. We must be going soft._ The doctor came out & talked to us. He was still in surgery & listed as critical. I let out a strangled yelp as I collapsed into the chair. Soda & Parker sat on each side of me. I didn't talk to anyone. I had stopped crying & conversations broke out around the waiting room. Two-Bit & Steve, Darry & Dad, Johnny & Pony, & Dally was just stalking in the background. I was frozen in my thoughts. _What if he dies? He can't We need to talk._ I was interrupted by someone's voice. It was a different doctor.

"We stopped the bleeding. He's in an induced coma to lower the pain. The bullet shattered the second rib, so we had to fix that as well. He's scheduled to wake up tomorrow. Only immediate family can see him right now." he explained, looking at the rest of the gang.

"They are. Their cousins." my dad lied. The doctor winked at us & left. We all walked into the room & I stumbled into Soda. I let out a short gasp. He was hooked up to more tubes than what Pony was. Tubes in his chest, his arms, & one down his throat breathing for him. He was so pale. Soda helped me to a chair. I was breathing really hard.

"We're gonna give you some time to talk to him." Parker told me. I nodded & they all left. I took his hand in mine & put my head on the bed.

"Oh Paxton. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone anywhere. I shouldn't still have been mad at you. You said sorry. I am. I am sorry." I bawled. I looked up at him, expecting a sarcastic Paxton type answer. _Nothing._ I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Darry.

"I'm sorry kid. You need to go wash up. Your brother went to grab you some new clothes." he explained. I nodded & he helped me up. As I went out, my dad went in. There were so many people there. News reporters, the whole high school basketball team, & countless girls who drool every time he walked by. _I guess that's what we get when your brother's a Tulsa famous basketball player._ Evie was Steve, but pushed her way through the crowd over to me. She took my hand & drug me to the bathroom. All the gang was keeping everyone in stitches. Especially Soda & Two-Bit. I let out a small laugh. We got to the bathroom & I washed my hands real good. The water was red. Evie gave me a duffel bag, so I went into a stall, changed, & came out. Evie gave me a hug.

"I am so so sorry. Are you okay? I mean, physically you are, but mentally?" she asked, still hugging me. I nodded & she broke the hug.

"I'm still just a little shaken up & mad." I admitted. She looked at me weird.

"Why are you mad?" she asked me. I sighed.

"Alyssa had the audacity to show up. She actually asked if he was okay." I ranted. Evie scoffed.

"Uck. If you would have told me that Paxton was interested in her, I would have told you that she was a bitch." she stormed. I nodded my agreement. We walked out of the bathroom & were instantly rushed by everyone that was waiting. It was overwhelming. Everyone was asking me questions as I made my way over to the gang. _This is crazy._

"Hey! Leave her alone. If you got a question, stand in a line & she'll make her way to you." Steve shouted.

"And if you bug her too much, you'll be dealing with us." Dally added. Some people left, but most got in a line & waited for me to answer their questions. A guy named Michael from the basketball team was first. He gave me a hug.

"Hey. What happened? I know he was shot, but how?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I really don't know. I wasn't with him. Before he passed out, he mumbled something about beating someone up." I squeaked. He nodded, gave me another hug, & left. The next was a reporter from the local news.

"My name is Tamara Allen from 7&8 News. We are here with Tali Adders at Tulsa Memorial. Tali, you're brother is here, because he got shot. Is that correct?" she asked. I nodded.

"And, how did that happen?" she asked.

"Um, I was mad at him & I decided to take a walk at about 2:30 this morning. I had run to a bad part of town. A really bad part & Paxton had followed me. I got even more mad at him & run the other way. I realized that we just needed to talk. I started to run back to where I left him & I heard a gunshot. I ran back & he was lying in the ground. He took his hand out from under his leather jacket & he had gotten shot." I remembered the whole story.

"I understand that before you moved here, Paxton was a star basketball player in New Jersey & he was just beginning practice at Tulsa High." she responded. I nodded.

"Yes. In Newark, he was the team captain of the basketball team & he did just last week, start practice at the high school." I told her.

"Is Paxton going to be okay?" she asked, suddenly. _I don't know how to answer this._

"Um...the next 24 hours are super critical to know if he's gonna be okay. I honestly don't know." I stuttered, & I started to cry again. Soda came over & wrapped his arms around me.

"I think that's enough questions for today." Soda told everybody. The waiting room cleared out & pretty soon it was just the gang & me. Parker & my dad were still in with Paxton. They came out & I went in again. I sat down in the chair & held his hand. I looked at him, & then fell asleep, my head on the bed.


	20. Chapter 20

Hi guys thank you for the reviews. They really make my day. I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. Crazy things have been happening. Here's chapter 20.

Guest- Thank you so much. I'm glad I made you feel special. Please tell me if you have any ideas. I would love to look at them.

Guest- Thank you too. I'm really glad you like it.

"Wake up Tali. Let's go get some breakfast." it was Soda. I groaned & looked up at Paxton. Someone had taken the breathing tube out, but he still had just as many other tubes still hooked up to him. I nodded & Soda helped me up. We walked out & Michael was there, talking to Parker & Dad. Soda & I walked down to the cafeteria. We grabbed plates of food & sat down in a booth.

"So, what's with that Michael guy?" Soda asked. I laughed.

"Um, he's a soc. He doesn't care about that though. He's a nice guy & one of Paxton's best friends." I answered. Soda nodded.

"You don't think he's cute do you?" he asked. I laughed even more. _Sodapop Patrick Curtis is jealous. Ha._

"Soda! Of course not. You are the cutest thing I have ever seen, & even if I did think he was cute, he sleeps around more than any greaser girl you know." I assured. That made him laugh. We finished eating & went back upstairs. Michael was gone & Parker & Dad were in with Parker. The rest of the gang was asleep in the chairs.

"You guys didn't have to stay." I told Soda, feeling guilty.

"Where else would we go. We're cousins." he laughed & I laughed too. Soda sat down on the chair & I sat on his lap for a little bit. Parker & Dad came out smiling.

"What's going on?" I asked. Parker grinned.

"He's awake. He wants to see you." Dad beamed. I jumped out of the chair & hugged Parker & my dad.

"He asked for me?" I couldn't believe it. I walked into his room & his his eyes were closed. He opened them.

"Hi." I said. He waved weakly. I suddenly felt a wave of guilt.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, walking over & sitting down in the chair. He groaned.

"Like I got hit by a freight train." he sighed. I started to cry again. He only had two tubes now. The IV & the one that was pumping more blood into his body. He patted to the spot next to him on the bed. I climbed up & sat with him.

"Can we talk?" he asked. I nodded.

"I've been an asshole. I shouldn't have went to Buck's. Alyssa was a bitch. It was only a matter of time before I broke up with her or she broke up with me. Parker told me about you telling her off. I'm sorry Tali. I ruined your date & hurt Soda. I didn't mean too." he croaked. I shook my head.

"No. I'm sorry. I've been completely unforgiving. I shouldn't have run off last night. I'm so sorry. What even happened? I shouldn't have left you." I cried. He looked down at me. His blue eyes filled with the worry that I should have had in mine.

"Tali, it's okay. I would've been mad too. Just… can we… can we promise not to get mad at each other again. You can get mad at Parker any time, but I don't like you being mad at me." he chuckled, & then groaned. I sat up.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just really sore. This is a great time to get shot. I have basketball." he whined. I laughed.

"Oh yeah. Michael's been here a few times. He just left. Do you wanna see him if he comes back?" I asked. He nodded.

"Oh yeah. He's gonna hafta take over as captain for the rest of this year. Shit." he worried. I laughed.

"Yup." I snickered. He shook his head.

"Hey tell the gang that they can go home, & I want you to go get some sleep too." he told me. I shook my head.

"No I'm good." I denied. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"No. I know you slept in that chair last night. And I know from experience that they aren't comfy." he protested.

"Okay. I'll tell the gang they can go home, & then I'll go home & get some sleep. Change my clothes, I probably look great." I said, sarcastically. He nodded his approval. I walked out & Parker & my dad went in.

"You guys can go home. I'm gonna go home & get some sleep. You guys can come to my house or we can go to the Curtises, or I can go to my house & everybody else can go to theirs." I told them. Soda jumped up.

"I'm gonna go with Tali. I'll meet you guys back at the house later." he blurted. Darr looked at him.

"Okay. Have fun doing whatever you're gonna be doing." he said with a smirk. We walked out of the hospital, holding hands. I put my head on his shoulder as we walked towards Darry's truck. They had Steve's truck there too. He drove & I sat in the passenger seat. We drove in silence. We got back to my house & walked through the door. Rain greeted us & Soda picked her up & just started loving her. _I love it when he does that. He's so good._ I walked up the stairs & I went into the bathroom. I changed into a sweatshirt & sweatpants & walked back down stairs into the living room. It had started to thunderstorm. _Ugh. I hate thunder._ Soda was on the couch with Rain, just cuddling with her. Soda scooched over & I polled down next to them. I put my feet on the couch & Soda put his arm around me. I was drifting off the sleep when a loud clap of thunder jolted me awake. I jumped up.

"Hey. It's okay. Are you scared of thunder?" He asked me. I nodded sheepishly. I layed back down & he tightened his arm around me.

"It's okay. I'll protect you." he whispered. Rain came over & layed on top of me. I fell asleep thinking about how pretty the rain was.


	21. Authors Note

Hi guys. Just a quick update. I took chapter 21 off because I got a review saying Colorado was a bit of a stretch & I seem to think so too. So I'm gonna take them camping. I wanted to know if you guys want Sandy to come back. I have had that ideas running through my head since the beginning. I really really want to know your guys' ideas. I think I'm gonna be ending this fiction in a couple chapters & starting a new one. I want the last chapter of this one to be about 6 years later & have them getting married & having kids. I just wanted to know what you guys think.

Love you

Jacklyn


	22. Chapter 21

Hi guys! Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback I'm getting. I will have Sandy comeback when they get back from the camping trip. I never had intentions for Soda to cheat on Tali. They are too much of a cute couple. Keep reviewing. Here's chapter 21. This is three weeks later.

*Introduction* Three weeks ago, my brother was shot & almost killed. Now, he's back home & annoying the crap out of everyone. Even the dog. I went back to school & everything's been great. I went on a couple more dates with Soda to the rodeo & to the diner.

*Present* We were all at the Curtises. Even Paxton & Parker. In the past couple of weeks, the twins had gotten a lot closer with the gang. Soda, Steve, & me were playing poker(Soda was cheating), Two-Bit & Paxton were arm wrestling, Dally wasn't doing anything, Pony, Johnny, & Parker were talking, & Darry was still at work.

"Stop cheating Soda!" Steve accused.

"I ain't cheating Stevie!" Soda exclaimed, dropping his cards & putting a hand on his heart. A card fell out of his sleeve & Steve scoffed.

"Ha!" he chortled, jumping over the table onto Soda. They started wrestling as Darry came through the door with a big smile.

"Hey Darr. What's going on?" Soda asked, putting Steve in a headlock. Steve grunted.

"For Winter Break we are going camping!" Darry shouted happily. Everyone sat up.

"What'dya mean camping?" Two-Bit asked. Darry sighed.

"You know? Camping? In tents? Outside? Surrounded by nature?" he asked. The gang nodded.

"Well, my boss was gonna go camping this week with 11 other guys. They had to cancel so he gave me the spots. There's 12 spots, so I thought us seven, Tali, Parker, Paxton, Evie, & Tali's dad." he explained. I groaned.

"Our dad?" I grumbled. Parker looked at me.

"I can get him to let us go." he told us. Me & Paxton nodded.

"I already called Evie." Darry stated. I looked at everybody.

"Wait! That means we're leaving tomorrow! Me & Evie need to pack." I exclaimed. I kissed Soda & opened the front door. Evie was already standing there.

"I've come to kidnap you." she said. I nodded eagerly & looked back at the boys.

"I'll be back sometime. I have to pack too. I want you guys done." I instructed. My brothers gave me a fake salute & I walked out the door with Evie. We got in her car & started towards her house.

"Can I actually meet your brothers & sisters tonight?" I asked. She had five. I've been to Evie's plenty of times, but I've never really gotten to meet them. She shrugged. We pulled into her driveway. She had a really nice house. It was two stories, like mine, but it was very decorated. Her parents & Evie are really creative. We walked inside & were instantly rushed by the little ones.

"Okay. Introductions & then you guys need to go to bed." Evie said.

"Why do we gotta go to bed?" the maybe oldest one asked. Evie put her finger up to her mouth to shush them.

"This is Jarvis & Isaac." she said, pointing to a pair of boys. Jarvis had black hair & blue eyes, & Isaac had blonde hair with green eyes.

"This is Harley & Robin." she introduced two girls. Harley had dark brown hair & hazel eyes, & Robin had red hair with blue eyes.

"Last, but not least, this is Phoenix." she finished, pointing to a little girl who had black hair & green eyes. We went up stairs & I helped her pack.

Do you just wanna spend the night at my house?" I asked. She looked at me.

"Can I? I don't want to have to deal with them in the morning." she asked. I nodded. We walked down stairs & into the living room. Evie's mom was painting with an easel. She was always painting or making something.

"Hi Tali. How are you?" she asked me.

"I'm good Mrs. Prescott. How are you?" I greeted. She smiled.

"I am doing great!" she bubbled. Evie rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Mom, I'm gonna spend the night at Tali's tonight. We're leaving pretty early in the morning." she said. Mrs. Prescott nodded.

"That's fine. Love you. See you next week." she acknowledged. She came over & hugged Evie. We walked out & got in the car, starting towards my house.

"Have you ever been camping?" I asked. She sighed.

"Before the youngest five came, Me, Dad, Mom, & Levi used to go all the time." she spoke. _I was puzzled._

"Who's Levi?" I asked.

"Levi is my older brother. He's eight years older than me. Nobody's ever met him, not even Steve. He went to Vietnam last year & about two months ago, he went missing in action." she told me. I was shocked.

"Evie… I'm so so sorry." I apologized. She nodded.

"It's okay. He moved out before any of the littles could even remember him." she finished. We drove the rest of the way in silence. We walked through the door & Rain greeted us. Dad & Parker were in the kitchen. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but my guess was camping. We went up stairs & I started to pack. I could hear Paxton cursing through my wall. We walked into his room & saw him sitting on the floor, angrily stuffing clothes into a duffel bag.

"What's going on?" I asked, stifling a laugh. He grunted.

"Parker said that if he talked to dad, I had to pack for him." he whined. Me & Evie walked out & went back down stairs. Parker & Dad were now in the living room, so we went into the kitchen. I took out graham crackers & vanilla frosting.

"Take these up to my room. I'll be there in a second." I told her. She took the stuff & I went to talk to dad. Parker wasn't there anymore.

"So?" I asked. I sat on the couch & he looked at me.

"Don't worry. Your old man ain't going with you guys." he chuckled.

"Thanks dad." I said.

"Yup. Go on up to bed. Don't stay up too late eating frosting." he spoke. I got up & started towards the stairs.

"Wait how'd you?" I stopped because he wasn't in the room anymore. I walked up the stairs & found Evie feeding Rain spoonfuls of frosting.

"So that's why she goes nuts every time I bring that out?" I asked, jumping onto my bed. She started to laugh & I started to eat. _These are the best things in the world._ We soon both fell asleep. Graham crackers & frosting in hand.


	23. Chapter 22

Hi guys. This is my 22 chapter. I'm super excited. I wanted to give a special thanks to Keruise. Oh my gosh. You have made my whole writing experience better. Thank you so much.

I don't really want to end this story, but I'm running out of ideas. I have a couple more & then I'm gonna have the last chapter be ten years in the future with little Tali's & little Soda's running around Tulsa. Here's chapter 22.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Wake up! Let's go! Time to go cam-ping!" I couldn't place whose voice it was. I opened my eyes & groaned. It was still dark outside. I sat up as Evie did, & we got out of bed.

"Was that Two-Bit?" she asked. I shrugged.

"That's how he says camping." I told her. We changed into some comfy clothes & went down stairs. The whole gang was there along with Paxton, Parker, & dad.

"What are… we doing… up so early?" Evie asked, in between kissing Steve. Darry laughed.

"It's about a six hour trip. We gotta get going." he explained. We all groaned.

"Okay. We're gonna be taking two trucks. In truck one will be, me, Tali, Soda, Evie, Steve, & Dally. In truck two will be, Paxton, Two-Bit, Johnny, Pony, & Darry." Parker called. We all ate breakfast & loaded into the trucks.

"We'll stop for gas & snack break & that's it. I wanna get there pretty quick." Darry stated. Thus began, the week long camping trip.

*2 hour later* We stopped for our first gas run. Parker & Darry were pumping gas & the rest of us went to go get snacks or had to go to the bathroom. Two-Bit stole some snacks, but why wouldn't he? He's Two-Bit. We all got our snacks & went back to the trucks.

"We have about four hours to go. Can we get through that without stopping?" Darry asked. We all thought about this, & then nodded. Darry clapped his hands. We got into the trucks & started the last stretch of the trip. Parker & Dally were in front & the four of us were squashed in back. I was on the edge, then Soda, Steve, & then Evie on the other side. I was reading, Steve & Soda were arguing about cars, & Evie was eating oreos, looking out the window. I was reading Call of the Wild. This is my favorite book. _Buck being so out of his elements until he begins to adapt. Him getting into fights with Spitz. John Thornton saving his life & then Buck saves his. The end of the book, when John dies…_

"Tali! Earth to Tali!" I looked up at Soda.

"What?" I snapped.

"Ooh. Grouchy! We're here." he said. I put my book down & looked outside. _It was beautiful._ Parker parked the car & we met the guys at the main lodge. We all went up to the main desk.

"Hi. I'm Darrel Curtis. We have reservations for 12." he spoke. The secretary nodded & looked in a file cabinet.

"Ah, yes. Okay. Two to Four people in each cabin. No smoking inside." she responded. Darry nodded & we started towards the cabins.

"Me & Evie get a cabin to ourselves!" I beamed. Evie nodded in agreement.

"I got Steve & Dally!" Soda shouted. Steve & Dally put their arms around Soda. _I noticed that Dally was getting... I don't know, but he was different. I'm gonna have to ask him about that._ Two-Bit put his hands on Pony & Johnny's shoulders.

"I get these two youngins so I can teach em' about life." Two-Bit hollered. Darry sighed & we all laughed. _This ought to be good._

"Okay. It's settled. I'll have Parker & Darry." Paxton announced. Everybody went into their cabins.

"This is beautiful." Evie whispered, admiring the warm, rustic feel of the cabin.

"It is." I agreed. We unpacked & went back to the main cabin. All the guys were already there.

"So? What are we doing?" Evie asked. Darry was real excited.

"We are going hiking!" he exclaimed. Two-Bit groaned.

"Nah. I think I'm gonna grab a beer." he clucked. We all laughed.

"Nope. You're coming with us." Darry retorted. Two-Bit gave in & we started towards the trails. One said easy, one said medium, & the other said hard. Steve looked at Darry.

"I vote we go on the easy path." he mumbled. We all laughed.

"Let's go on the medium." Pony countered. Steve shot Pony the death glare. If looks could kill, Pony would be on the ground.

"I agree with Pony." Evie spoke. So, we all started down the medium trail. The view was breathtaking. We saw deer, turkeys, squirrels, & other forms of life. We came to a river with stepping stones going across.

"Can we do it?" I asked. Darry thought about it.

"Sure. Just go across & come back. We gotta get back to the cabins." he reminded. Evie & Steve went together & came back. Two-Bit almost fell in. We all started to laugh at him.

"Hey! You ain't gonna be laughing when it happens to you." he snapped. Me & Soda did it next. As we started to come back, I slipped on a rock & we tried to jump to the next, but we fell into the water. It wasn't very deep, up to my chest. Two-Bit started howling with laughter.

"Holy Shit!" Soda exclaimed, dragging me to shore. _It was really freaking cold._ He helped me up & kissed me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, running his fingers through my freezing, wet hair. I laughed.

"I'm fine." I promised. The rest of the gang ran over.

"Are you guys okay?" Darry asked, putting his hands on our shoulders. I noticed I had started to shake.

"W...we're f...fine." I said. Parker came over then.

"Honey, you guys are shaking." he said. Paxton came over too.

"Yeah. We gotta get you guys back to the cabin." he agreed. Me & Soda started shaking even more. Everyone took off their coats & gave them to us. We started our hike back to the cabin. I was shaking so much, I could barely walk & my vision was getting darker. I looked over & saw Soda shaking & trembling. We were almost back to the cabin when Soda tripped & fell to the ground. Darry kneeled down next to him.

"Soda… baby. Guys. He's out & ice cold. Steve help me carry him." he instructed. Steve came over & started to pick him up. Just then, I fell into Paxton. He caught me & that's the last thing I remember before I blacked out.


	24. Chapter 23

Hi guys! Why hasn't anyone reviewed? I'm thinking about two or three more chapters. Here's chapter 23. Enjoy & review. This is a really short chapter, but I promise the next one will be longer.

When I woke up, I didn't know where I was. I eventually realized that I was in the hospital. _I have to stop coming here. I need a membership card._ The door opened & in walked Parker.

"Where's Soda?" I asked. He put his hand on his heart.

"Nice to see you too." he spoke. I felt kind of bad.

"Sorry." I whispered. He shrugged it off & sat down in the chair.

"Soda's fine. He woke up a couple hours ago. You guys got hypothermia. You had pneumonia. Soda didn't. Dang. You guys gave us a scare. We brought you guys here last night. It's now two in the afternoon." he informed. I coughed.

"Are we gonna go home today? Can I see Soda? Are you guys gonna still go camping? What hospital are we at?" I asked, the questions came flooding out. I started coughing again & Parker gave me a glass of water.

"Easy." he fretted. I nodded.

"No. We're not going back camping. We're at Tulsa Memorial. **You** are not going home due to the added bonus of the pneumonia, but Soda is. He in fact, is already out. Everybody's waiting outside." he informed. I pouted. Parker laughed.

"Well, can they come in instead of peeping through the door?" I asked, pointing to the ten faces, including my dad's staring at me. Two-Bit waved. I started to laugh & then had a coughing fit. All of the gang came bursting through the door. My dad followed. Soda came over & kissed the top of my head. My dad did a warning cough & everybody started laughing.

"Ooh, Soda got in trouble!" Steve sang.

"How are you feeling?" Paxton asked. I shrugged.

"I've felt better." I said. Everybody nodded.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Steve asked. I had to think about that.

"I remember not being able to breathe real well. I was really cold, & then I would be real hot. I remember trying to talk to someone, but I was slurring." I murmured. Everybody nodded, except for Soda. My dad had to go to work, so he left & the nine of us played poker. Even in the hospital, I whooped them. They were all whining, even Darry. The day came & went & the next morning I was aloud to go home.

"You need to be on bed rest for a couple of days." the doctor monologue instructed. _Now, I feel Pony's pain._ I thought as Paxton wheeled me out. Soda pushed him out of the way & we went down the hallways. He made sure to go slow around the corners. We invited the whole gang over to our house & everybody agreed except Dally. He & Shepherd had some "business". Paxton had a basketball thing. He couldn't play, but his response to the coach was,

" Sir… I've been playing basketball since I was big enough to grip one. I'll have to be six feet under before I miss a practice." Evie had to go home the night before because Robin got sick & she had to babysit. The two boys parted ways at the hospital & the rest of us went home. The boys got comfy in the living room & I went upstairs to change. I got into a nicer sweatshirt & a pair of jeans. I put my hair into pigtail braids & went back down stairs. Soda & Steve were on the floor playing with Rain. Darry & Two-Bit were talking & so were Parker & Pony. I sat down on the floor next to Soda. Rain came over & started licking my face.

"Let's do something!" I exclaimed. They all looked at me.

"Like what?" Two-Bit asked. I thought about this for a second.

"Poker?" I suggested. Everybody groaned & I laughed.

"No. Not poker. Anything but poker." Steve whined. Before everyone left, we ended up playing 12 games of poker. Me winning eleven & Darry winning one.


	25. Author's Note 2

Hi guys. I wanted to talk to you guys. I'm ending this story in about two or three more chapters. The next chapter will be Tali, Steve, & Two-Bit's graduating year. Yes, I know. Two-Bit made it to senior year. Paxton & Parker graduated & are both in college at good schools. I'll explain it in the next chapter. The next chapter after that it will be a chapter after Tali graduates & it will be Tali & Soda's wedding. The last chapter will be a couple years later. Fun fun.

Love ya,

Jacklyn


	26. Chapter 24

Hi guys. Why aren't you guys reviewing? I have about two or three more chapters to do. I know I keep saying that, but I don't want to do a chapter with three thousand words. Little too much. So this is a year after the last. Love ya.

*Introduction* Last year, was the worst & best year of my life. My mother & best friend in New Jersey, died the same night. The rest of my family moved to Tulsa. There, I met my boyfriend & now six of my closest friends. I made some really good friends & one not really good one. My youngest friend killed a boy in self-defense. We had rumbles, a very brief camping trip. My brothers graduated high school. Parker got an academic scholarship to Harvard Medical, & Paxton got a full ride to Ohio State for basketball. Oh, & Two-Bit finally moved on to his senior year.

*Present*

"Can you believe it's only three weeks away until we graduate?" Two-Bit asked, putting a hand Steve's & mine's shoulder.

"I don't know Two-Bit. Are you sure it ain't gonna just be me & Tali up there?" Steve laughed. Two-Bit tackled him onto the ground. We were walking back from school. After Steve shoved Two-Bit off of him, we continued our walk. _The socs had calmed down alot since Randy graduated last year. There's a new leader, Alex, but we've only rumbled with him once. We won._

"Tali! Hey Tali!" Steve's voice broke through my thoughts.

"What?" I asked.

"Where ya going on your date tonight?" Two-Bit chimed in. I shrugged.

"He said it was a surprise." I told them. We got to the Curtises house & went inside. Pony was at track, Johnny was watching him, Darry was at work, & Soda was already home because he had the day off. Dally got locked up again for getting caught trying to steal a pack of cigs. Two-Bit's reply was,

"I'm gonna have to give him more lessons." he laughed. Soda was sitting on the couch watching Mickey. Steve jumped on him & Two-Bit went into the kitchen to get beer & cake. We played a couple games of poker while we waited for everyone to get home.

"Are you cheating?" Soda accused me. I scoffed.

"I have never cheated before!" I exclaimed. The three boys looked at me with a weird expression.

"What time are we gonna be leaving?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Um, I was thinking as soon as Darry & Pony get back at five." he said casually. I looked at the clock. It read 4:15.

"Soda! I have to go get ready!" I squealed. He started laughing as I ran out the door. I ran up the stairs & Rain followed me. Since she's way bigger than last year, she had an easier time flying up the stairs. I went into my closet. _How am I supposed to dress? He never even gave me a hint._ I decided on jean shorts, a dark blue tank top, & a jean jacket vest. I put my hair into a ponytail braid. Somebody knocked on the front door. I rode the railing down & opened it. It was Paxton. I hugged him super tight. He was wearing his Ohio State letterman jacket.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. He let go of me.

"Nice to see you too." he said. I laughed.

"I'm serious." I said, still laughing.

"It's Summer Break. Park'll be here tomorrow." he explained. I nodded. Rain sauntered out & jumped up onto Paxton.

"Hi baby. You're getting fat!" he exclaimed. I started to laugh again. We went inside & sat on the couch. It was 4:45.

"So? On a more serious note. Any colleges say anything to my baby sister yet?" he asked. Someone knocked on the door.

" You expecting anyone?" he asked, jumping up & opening the door. _I just realized that he was even taller. Probably about 6'4. He was taller than Darry._ At the door was Soda. They did a guy hug.

"How's college treating ya" Soda asked. Pax nodded.

"It's been…it's had it's ups & downs." he spoke.

"Me & Soda are going out." I piped. He turned & looked at me. He smiled.

"Well, have fun. When's dad get home?" he smirked.

"Anytime. There's food in the fridge." I told him. He waved us off & we started towards Darry's truck.

"So where are we going?" I asked, hopeful he'd give off some sort of hint. He shook his head.

"I ain't gonna tell you." he objected. We stopped at Dairy Queen to get burgers, fries, & shakes.

"Don't eat anything yet." he instructed. I looked at him.

"But… Just a fry?" I asked. He sighed.

"Just one." he said. I laughed as I took two of them. Soda opened his mouth & I put the fry in. We laughed again.

"This weekend, I need to talk to everyone. Pax & Park are gonna be here. It'll be perfect." I told him. That made him shift in his seat. It made him nervous. We pulled into a parking lot & Soda got out of the car. He opened my door.

"Grab the food." he ordered. I grabbed the bags & we went back to the trunk. Je grabbed a big blanket & a picnic basket. We walked down about a dozen steps. It was a lake with a little sandy beach. He laid the blanket on sand & we sat down.

"Soda. This is beautiful." I exclaimed, as we started eating. He nodded.

"My mom used to bring me here when I was having a bad day. I've brung other girls here, but I never told any of em' that." he paused for a second.

"Now that I think about it… This is the last place I went with her." he confessed. I started to rub his back. He changed the subject. He reached into the picnic basket & brought out a chocolate cake & a little box.

"I know it's a little late for a birthday present, but… here." he babbled, handing me the box. I opened it. It was a necklace with a silver heart pendant & a matching ring.

"Soda! This must have cost a fortune!" I exclaimed. He started to laugh.

"No. It was my mom's. She left it to me in her will. Told me to give it to the girl who has my heart." he explained. I gave him a big hug.

"This is the best thing anybody's ever gotten me." I beamed. I wiped a couple tears from my eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. I didn't want you to cry." he whispered.

"Will you put it on?" I asked, giving him the necklace. I slipped the ring on my right ring finger. It fit perfectly. He put the necklace on & started to kiss the back of my neck.

"You look amazing." he spoke softly in my ear. He pulled me back & we laid down on the blanket. We laid there for what felt like forever. We looked at the stars in silence. Soda got up & took my hand.

"Let's go." he chortled. I got up & we went for a walk along the beach. I put my head on his shoulder & we held hands.

"I love you." he murmured suddenly. I leaned into him a little more.

"I love you too." I repeated. We started walking back to the truck & packed up our things.

"So, about the announcement I have. Just tell everyone to come to my house at two. Tell em' I'll have food too." I explained, once we got into the truck. Soda sighed.

"Can you tell **me** what it is?" he asked. I shook my head & laughed.

"No. I can't tell you. With your blabber mouth, you'll ruin it." I retorted. He took his eyes off of the road & looked at me eyes wide with horror.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked. I started laughing even more.

"How? I mean… I know how. We only did it…" I stopped him there.

"No. I'm not pregnant. I just can't tell you." I giggled. He let out a relieved sigh. We got back to my house & we kissed good night.

"I'll see you tomorrow." he said. I nodded.

"At two." I agreed. I got out of the car & he backed up to his house. I walked inside & talked the night away with my dad & second oldest brother.


	27. Chapter 25

Hi guys. I think two more chapters will be good.

Guest- Thanks for your review. You'll find out this chapter!

I just wanted to thank all of you guys. I would not have made it this far without you guys. I love you all.

This chapter is a lot shorter, but I don't know. The next one's will be longer.

I woke up at 9:00. Parker was supposed to be here with his girlfriend Amelia at 10:00. I got up & got dressed. I put my hair in a tight ponytail. I rode the railing down the stairs & went into the kitchen to eat breakfast. I finished that & started making a couple of chocolate cakes for the guys later. At 10:00 sharp a knock & then the opening of the front door was heard. _Never one to be late...Ever._

"Hello? Anybody there?" he hollered. I walked out of the kitchen with flower all over me.

"Who's the ghost?" Amelia asked, laughing. _She was a good friend of mine last year. She got accepted into Harvard too. She's a soc. She was really tall with dirty blonde hair & hazel eyes. _I ran over & hugged both of them.

"There's my baby sister!" he exclaimed. Paxton came running down the stairs.

"There's my twin!" he boomed. He ran over & they guy hugged. Paxton was tanner that Parker now & he was a couple inches taller than him too. They had changed so much. My dad made his way over to us with his cane. _His health had been getting really bad as of late._

"Ah, here we are. The Adder's family reunited." he observed, then added.

"Plus one." We laughed & Amelia blushed. _She was always super shy. Even when she got to know us._ We sat down & talked about basically everything until 2:00. At two, the gang walked right in. _We made it a rule that the Curtises & my house were a safe house, just in case the Curtises got too crowded. We've had Steve & Dally over a lot, & even Pony a couple times when he just needed to cool down. _Two-Bit smacked his hands together.

"Where's the food?" he asked. I went into the kitchen & brought out the chocolate cake. Once that was situated, I stood up.

"Okay guys. I have a real important announcement to make." I was interrupted by Soda.

"She's not pregnant!" he shouted. Darry, Dad, Parker, & Paxton choked on their cake. Paxton & Parker cracked their knuckles. Darry & Dad looked at each other. I shot Soda the death glare.

"As I was saying, I know what college I'm going to choose." I finished. Paxton whooped.

"I knew it! She's gonna be a Buckeye like her favorite brother!" he exclaimed. Parker shook his head.

"Nope. She's gonna be a Pilgrim like her smartest brother." he argued. I laughed.

"Nope. I'm not gonna be either." I told them. Steve was getting annoyed.

"Well what the hell is it?" he snapped. I laughed again.

"I'm going to Oklahoma State University!" I exclaimed. Soda jumped up & kissed me.

"I'm so proud of you baby!" he congratulated. The rest of the gang got up & gave me a hug.

"Congratulations Adders!" Two-Bit smiled.


	28. Chapter 26

Hi guys. This chapter is going to be very short. After this one, there is one more chapter placed 10 years after this chapter. Before that chapter goes up, there will be an author's note explaining where everybody is in life. The last chapter is going to super long! I hope you guys enjoy & please review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Graduation Day*

I was over at Evie's helping her get ready.

"How should I have my hair?" she asked. I shrugged.

"However you want it." I replied. She braided her hair & we left for my house. I got ready & we went downstairs to take pictures. The gang came over too. We got one with just me, my brothers, my dad, Soda, the gang, Evie, & a lot more. We drove to the high school & went to the auditorium. The principal was there greeting everyone.

"Hi Ms. Adders, Ms. Prescott, Mr. Matthews, & Mr. Randle." He greeted the four of us.

"Hi." we replied.

"Are you ready to graduate?" he asked us. We all said yes. He glared at Steve & Two-Bit. We walked past him & sat down together. We watched my family, the gang, Two-Bit's small family, Evie's big family, & even Steve's dad show up. They all sat down & started talking quietly with each other. The principal & superintendent came up on stage & started their speeches. I looked around & noticed Dally slouched up against the wall. I was the seventh one to be called. I went up to the stage to receive my diploma. Everybody clapped & whooped. Our little section was definitely the loudest. I sat down again & my three friends gave me a hug. After about four more hours, everybody had their diplomas. The three of us walked out of the auditorium & down to where our families were waiting.

"I say we all go down to the diner to celebrate!" Two-Bit's mom bubbled. We all agreed & drove to the diner.


	29. Author's Note 3-Explaining

Darry Curtis: Darry is now happily married & has two kids. He still lives in the old house & now he runs his own construction company. He is 32 years old

Naomi Curtis: Darry's wife

Darryl Ellis Curtis the 3rd: Darry's 10 year old son

Ulla Carmen Curtis: Darry's 8 year old daughter

Sodapop Curtis: Soda is now happily married with four kids. They live in Tali's house & owns four DX gas stations with Steve. He is 29.

Tali Curtis: Soda's wife

Sodapop Owen Curtis the 2nd: Soda's 9 year old son

Lyric Violet Curtis: Soda's 9 year old daughter

Keaton Cole Curtis: Soda's 7 year old son

Weston Brody Curtis: Soda's 4 year old son

Ponyboy Curtis: Pony is now happily engaged with a baby on the way. They live just outside Tulsa, in the country. He is a famous author. He is 26.

Fiance: Lexus Rhodes-Curtis

Rhea Curtis: Newborn Girl (Hasn't been born yet)

Dallas Winston: Dallas is now married! They have two little kids. They live in Tulsa & he works at Darry's construction company. He is 29.

Hazel Winston: Dally's Wife

Mia Princess Winston: Dally's 10 year old girl

Dane Charles: Dally's 4 year old boy

Johnny Cade: Johnny is in a serious relationship. They don't have any kids, but they have two dogs. They live in Tulsa & Johnny is a social worker. He is 28.

Girlfriend: Cole Washington

Lewis: Beagle

Corbin: Golden Retriever

Two-Bit Matthews: Two-Bit is married & has one kid. He was drafted into Vietnam by the Navy & once his year was up, he rejoined. Right now, he is stationed in Norfolk, but always makes his way back to Tulsa. His mother & sister both died in a car accident while he was in Vietnam the first time. Two-Bit is 31.

Melody Matthews: Two-Bit's wife

Christa Georgia Matthews: Two-Bit's 8 year old daughter

Steve Randle: Steve is now happily married with five kids & one on the way. They live in Evie's hous & Steve owns four DX's with Soda. Steve is 29.

Evie Randle: Steve's Wife

Shayna Nina Randle: Steve's 10 year old daughter

Drew Taylor Randle: Steve's 8 year old daughter

Wade Lucas Randle: Steve's 6 year old son

Logan Victor Randle: Steve's 4 year old son

Jessica Roxana Randle: Steve's 2 year old son

Nathan Solomon Randle: Steve's unborn son

Tali Adders: Tali is now happily married & has four kids. They live in her house & she has become a pediatrician. (We already know her kids)

Parker Adders: Parker was married & then widowed with two kids. He became a doctor/surgeon at a VA hospital in Hawaii. Him & the kids still manage to come back to Tulsa at least once a year. He is 30.

Peyton Chase Adders: Parker's 10 year old son

Spencer Cason Adders: Parker's 8 year old daughter

Paxton Adders: Paxton is happily single living out his days as an actor. In his senior year of college, he blew out his knee. He started taking some acting classes & BOOM! He was a natural. He lives in California, but comes back to Tulsa a lot. He is 30.

Tony Adders: Three years after the birth of Parker's second child, Tony died. They found out he had cancer, & there was nothing they could do to stop it from progressing. He is buried next to his wife in Newark, New Jersey.


	30. Chapter 27

Hi guys. This is my LAST chapter! Can you believe it. I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for your reviews. Here we go. 10 years later!

*Darry's P.O.V.*

"Ellis! Ulla! Come on!" I shouted to my kids. My wife Naomi was in the kitchen making chocolate cake for breakfast. _The Curtis brothers still kept that tradition._ Ulla came running out of her bedroom. She looked just like a mini & girl version of me. Ellis came out next. He looked exactly like mom. Dark blonde hair & brown eyes. The three of us went into the kitchen & sat down at the table.

"So, everybody's coming over today. Even Uncle Parker & Uncle Paxton." I told the kids.

"We have to clean the house first." Naomi chimed in. They groaned.

"Oh come on, it isn't that bad." I agreed with my wife. We finished eating & started cleaning.

*Soda's P.O.V.*

"Dad. Wake up. Come on dad. We're going over to Uncle Darry's house!" the twins shouted. I groaned.

"5 more minutes mom. We don't gotta be there 'till 5:00 tonight." I moaned. Somebody kissed me on the top of my head. It was Tali. We kissed on the lips & the twins went screaming from the room. We started laughing. I sat up & she sat down next to me.

"Soda… I have to tell you something." she whispered. I looked at her.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked, trying to hide the worry.

"I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed. I felt my eyes go huge.

"You're what?" I stuttered.

"I'm pregnant. I went to the doctors the other day. I'm 10 weeks!" she laughed. I was shocked. _We already have four!_

"We're gonna end up like Steve." I whispered. She started laughing even more. We got up & I gave her a hug.

"Are we gonna tell everybody today?" I asked. She nodded.

"Let's do it." she agreed. We walked out of our room & into the kitchen. All of the kids were at the table eating chocolate cake & eggs. _Two of our kids liked grape jelly on them & two of our kids liked strawberry. I wonder what the fifth is going to like._

*Pony's P.O.V*

"Pony, wake up honey. We have to get ready." my soon to be wife & a mother whispered. I groaned & sat up. Lexus, my fiance, got up & walked out to the kitchen. _She was gonna have the kid anytime. I am gonna be a father anytime._ I got up, got dressed, & walked out to the living room. Lexus was waiting on the couch with two slices of chocolate cake.

"Wow." I sighed. She looked at me with a weird look on her face.

"What?" she asked.

"This is the first time in a long time that the whole gang is gonna be together." I said. I stood up & helped my fiance.

*Dally's P.O.V.*

"Mia! Dane! Let's go!" I shouted up the stairs. _These kids are gonna be the death of me._ They came bumbling down the stairs & into the kitchen.

"Do we get to see uncle Johnny?" Dane murmured. _The kid loves his Uncle Johnny, man._

"What about Uncle Soda?" Mia asked. I laughed.

"We get to see everybody today!" I shouted happily. The kids hooray-ed & my wife, Hazel came through the kitchen door. _She was the most beautiful girl in the world. She had cherry red hair & beautiful hazel eyes._

"So? What are we going to have for breakfast?" she asked.

"Toast! Toast!" Dane shouted. I laughed & made everyone their toast.

*Johnny's P.O.V.*

"Lewis! Corbin! Get off!" I groaned, pushing my dogs off of me. My girlfriend was standing in the doorway.

"Come on. We gotta get ready." she spoke. _She was very anal about being on time._ I sat up & the dogs jumped back on the bed. Corbin was drooling all over me. I pushed him off & stood up. I walked over to Cole & kissed her. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I love you." I whispered. She leaned into me.

"I love you more." she whispered back. We hugged, kissed, & walked to the kitchen to eat breakfast.

*Two-Bit's P.O.V.*

I put the quarters in the phone & dialed Darry's number. It rang a couple of times.

"Hello. This is Ellis." a young voice stated. I smiled to myself.

"Hey kid. It's Uncle Two-Bit. Can you put your dad on the phone?" I asked.

"Yeah… Hold on." he told me. It was silent for a couple minutes.

"Hey Two-Bit." Darry's voice broke through the silence.

"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be there in a couple hours." I affirmed.

"Okay. See ya then." he said, hanging up phone. I got back in the car & waited for Melody & Christa to come out of the gas station. They came out shortly after & got in the truck. Christa gave me a bag of chips & a coke. I took it & we started the last stretch of the trip home.

*Steve's P.O.V.*

"Steve honey, you have to wake up." a voice called. I groaned & turned over.

"No dad. I don't wanna go to school. No. 5 more minutes. I don't want you in their lives." I mumbled. I was still dreaming.

"Steve honey. It's okay." Evie whispered, rubbing my shoulders. I sat up in a cold sweat. _Now I know how Tali & Pony feel. _I gave Evie a hug.

"It's okay. It's okay." Evie whispered, hugging me back. I looked at her, my eyes burning back tears. _I don't cry. I've only done it once & I don't plan on doing it over some stupid nightmare._

"Are you okay?" she asked, breaking the hug. I nodded, stood up, & walked into the hallway of kids.

"Shayna! Drew! Logan! Wade! Jess! Let's go! Time to get up!" I shouted. I walked into the kitchen & started making coffee. _Black. Now I get why Darry drank so much of this._ My very pregnant Evie came in & sat at the table. All the kids came running through the kitchen door. _And… we wanted a sixth one._

*Tali's P.O.V.*

Me & Soda were in the kitchen cleaning dishes.

"Should we tell the kids now?" Soda asked. I shrugged.

"We can." I agreed. He nodded. We finished the dishes & walked out into the living room where the kids were watching Mickey. I shut the TV off & listened to the collective groans.

"Mom! What'dya do that for?" Owen & Lyric asked. _It_ ** _is_** _a twin thing._ Soda & I pushed the kids over.

"We're still going over to Uncle Darry's right?" Keaton asked. Soda nodded.

"Of course little buddy." he chuckled. Owen raised his hands.

"If this is about that broken glass… Lyric did it." he exclaimed. Lyric scoffed & smacked him upside the head.

"Guys. Listen. Your mom's having another baby." Soda blurted. All four stopped & looked at us. I laughed as the kids' mouths dropped open.

*Later-Everybody at the House*

We had such a great night. Talking, laughing. Just like old times.

"Okay guys. We have something we need to tell you guys." Soda broke in. Everybody stopped talking & looked at us. Owen & Lyric wouldn't stop laughing.

"Mom's having a baby!" they blurted. Everybody gasped.

"Congratulations!" everybody shouted. They got up & gave us a big greaser hug. _This was great. Our fourth greaser hug. We must have been going soft._

The End.

I hope you guys enjoyed this. I had such a fun time writing this.


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